Preference
by Alis Volat Propris
Summary: The strength it takes to hold on, is less than what is required to let go. In a  world bought by blood and paid for in heartbeats, love is a fleeting concept-but  sometimes, it may just be worth holding out for. Co-written with Thirdtimecharm
1. Chapter 1

AN: CO- WRITTEN BY my lovely new betamuse: Thirdtimescharm, If you love this fic, you should tell her so.

It was a tactician's nightmare. This was every situation and scenario he had never wanted to be involved in. It went well and far beyond troublesome. It was the unsolveable mission-the one they had been sent on, expected to return home. It would impossible to achieve, and yet, they could not fail. Shikamaru's eyes and thoughts darkened.

Tsunade had failed to mention that mission involved the retrieval of children. Then again how could she have known that the informants they were testing on were kids? Clan children had been getting kidnapped, but there was no way to know that the two were linked. No one could have known. All of them were younger than eight, varied in age and scared. None of them with enough ninja training or wherewithal to make it to the border undetected alone. There were sixty fully trained Iwa ninja on their trail, all Jounin level, catching up with them all the time, as the children had to slow; tired legs, burning lungs. Ino-Shika-Chou would not be enough to stop them _and_ save all of the children, each one of them with valuable information needed to finally put an end to this tyranny on clan children being kidnapped and experimented on. They couldn't have known that the disappearence of children and their mission were connected.

One could play shadow games, and of all the teams to do it, it was them...but he couldn't count on the children not breaking into panic, or running straight back into enemy hands if something went wrong. Even with geinin, they were trained how to hide, to be able to defend themselves. These kids hadn't even graduated into the academy. They didn't have the training. How would he hide so many from detection with 60 pairs of expert eyes searching for them? Even if he sent the children on, and the three stayed, if anyone got past them, it was over. There would be no help, he had already tried contacting with support teams. They were too far away to rendesvous in time. His mission was to gain intel. These children had it.

There had to be a diversion, someone to distract them whilst the others took the children and got them to safety. It would force them to split the groups, a manageable feat. Only one person could be spared for the distraction because two would be needed to defend the children from the split and to keep them in order and moving. It was the impossible mission he had been warned about his entire life. If Tsunade had known there would be this many she would have assigned reserve teams in waiting. Their rumors suggested only a handful at most. Now with fifty five tiny children looking to them for answers, expecting three anbu to save them, Shikamaru felt numb. There would be casualties this time. It couldn't be done, without severe casualties and detriment to the mission.

"Get out of here" Ino ordered, periwinkle sharp like a kunai, teal breaking through the center, her core, her strength. "Take them and run"

Shikmaru's mind was racing through scenarios trying to find another way. There had to be another way. They were Ino-Shika-Chou. But both he and Chouji were in bad shape, as they had done the bulk of the work breaking the children out once they realized what was at stake. These children would have been dead if they hadn't. Minutes passed, minutes they did not have. Damn it. And he had nothing, nothing, NOTHING that did not result in loss.

For the sake of this mission, if they did not split, they would all die. Shikamaru was a strategist. Go was no different. Sacrifice the pawn, for the sake of the queen. Asuma's life had taught him to cling to his teammates, to care about the bonds he had formed. His death had taught him that sometimes those very bonds caused people to die, to give up their lives for the cause they believed in. He would not be able to talk her out of this. Shikamaru nodded, gathering the children, picking up the lone toddler who would not be as fast as the others and craddling him against his shoulder.

Words without sound were exchanged with that single, solid look between the two. Chouji was trying to protest, but she shook her head. Ino was resolute, as she pulled out her sword, the shink of the blade echoing her intent.

She would not beg. She would not hesitate, and she _could not_falter. Letting her lips stretch into an imitation of the smile that she was known for, one cerulean blue eye dipped shut in a wink.

"See ya," Ino breathed quietly, turning her back-for all the world, a picture of determined calm.

She could taste the lie on her lips-and knew that he could, too.

No one knew that she had averted her eyes because she would not have been able to stand seeing him leave her behind.

And then-there was nothing. Silence told her that they were gone. Her team, their mission objective, had left. Ino fought back a tortured laugh. Was it strange to feel betrayed by someone doing what you had _asked_them to? Fighting back the bitterness, the blonde squared her shoulders, kodachi steady in her hand.

Stillness. Emotions had no place in this battle. There was no room for remorse or regret. She had nothing to mourn. The decision, Ino thought fiercely, had been hers alone.

Ino began to pull out her tools. She would set up a trap for them, force them to follow her lead, and away from the others. Maybe she could buy enough time for help to come. _Maybe pigs would fly_ she thought with a snort.

…...  
>Neji's pearlescent eyes narrowed as he crossed arms over his anbu vest. Shikamaru stood in front of the others, in front of Tsunade as he reported his tale of the awry mission. The room was cold, concrete building of the headquaters made and prepared for any attack. It housed the interrogations unit, and other various training and combat areas. It was also where Anbu held meetings like this one. It was more like a tomb, a solid fortified tomb. Hyuuga Neji couldn't hear Shikmaru's words. He'd could not hear the sounds of an intelligent genius, but of a ridiculous coward, leaving behind his own teammate to die in his stead. Calloused, jaded, cynical. Of course the strategist had left her behind. He cut his loses because in the end, the only one that had mattered when it got down to the bare bones of the situation was <em>him.<em>

Tsunade's brow was furrowed, hazel eyes regarding him intently.

"Hokage sama, permission to send a retrieval team to investigate the matter further" Neji interjected, cutting Shikamaru's report off, gloved hands tightening over his arms as he stood. All eyes were on him as he stepped forward into the circle of light. The harsh lights above them buzzed, staccato crescendoed as the atmosphere grew tense.

"She's dead" Shikamaru retorted, bittersweet admonition was surprising. "There's no way she could have survived that on her own."

"Then why did you leave her?" Neji's tone was cold, ridiculing as he looked upon the spiky haired shadow user.

Shikamaru's brown eyes were almost black as he looked upon the anbu captain, dark circles underneath them, puffy. Sure, he was tired. It must be exhausting giving up on the very bonds forged through blood so quickly and decisively.

Tsunade's look was considering as she gazed upon the anbu captain. "This surprises me coming from you, Neji"

"Oh?" He asked. "And why is that?" He asked, cooly, fighting to keep his tone neutral.

"Because you're not usually one to put yourself forward on behalf of others." Shikamaru replied, intelligent brown eyes now focusing the entirety of their gaze on him. The look was piercing, calculating, as he processed.

Neji merely smiled. "In that we are the same, then." Eyes turning back to the Hokage, he shook his head. "She's alive, and we need to find her before Iwa does, Hokage sama."

Shikamaru flinched, fist clenched as he fought back whatever it was he wanted to say. Neji ignored him.

"Of course we need to see if she's still alive." Shikamaru's voice was tense, rough from emotion, but he refused to meet his gaze.

"Have you so little faith in your own teammate?" Neji demanded.

"I did what I had to for the sake of the mission. She told us to leave." Shikamaru's voice was angry, defensive even as his fist clenched. He took a step towards Neji. Pearlescent eyes didn't miss the look, the subtle body cues that were as clear as day for the Byakugan user. Shikamaru was threatened.

"Is that your excuse?"

Shikamaru lunged. It was Chouji who grabbed him, held him on the right, and Shino on the left whilst he struggled. He stopped almost immediately realizing the futility of it all. Chouji's dark eyes were haunting, Tormented by her death, and by the words he spoke, the truth of the matter. But Chouji was Ino-Shika-Chou and therefore just as responsible.

"Neji, spare us your social commentary." Tsunade's tone was sharp, reprimanding.

"How easy it is to justify leaving a women alone to die." Neji remarked cooly.

"The Hyuuga would know about dying for lost causes, wouldn't they?" Shikamaru snapped.

Neji bristled, puffy veins igniting, around his eyes, chocolate hair swaying behind him as he stepped forward into the circle under the harsh lights about to do more than just talk.

"That's _Enough_." Tsunade's fist crashed against the steel table, smashing it intstantly. She stood, heels clicking, forcing the two to focus on the shorter blondes fury.

"Every minute we waste with your egos is another minute she doesn't have." Tsunade's hazel eyes burned. "Neji since you are so fit to judge the situation" Tsunade paused, sarcasm biting. "Take your righteous indignation and a team with you. If you can find her alive, save her."

"Permission to take Inuzuka Hana and Tsume" Neji replied.

"Denied." Tsunade's voice was as cold and sterile as the medical equipment she used. "You will take Inuzuka Kiba and Akamaru with you. You can also have Kakashi ,who will lead this excursion, and see to it your arrogance doesn't get in the way." Tsunade replied. Neji knew it was a punishment and he accepted it with silence.

"Hokage sama, permission to be a part of the retrieval team." Shikamaru replied. Chouji chimmed in as well.

"Denied. You have spent precious energy running back to tell me of this, instead of acting like a Team. You are not emotionally, or physically ready for the weight of this mission." Tsunade rebuked.

Shikamaru's head hung in shame.

"Hokage sama, permission to be an informant for the retrieval team" Chouji's voice was humble, cheeks wet with streaming tears.

"Informant?" Tsunade asked. Her look was tempered with compassion for the bigger Akimichi.

Neji was just as surprised by the request as the hokage.

"The retrieval team will need someone who knows Ino, in order to find her. After resting, I will rendevous with the team. I volunteer for this mission without addition to rank or pay." Chouji replied, hands behind his back standing tall, in spite of his tears. With his mane of reddish orange hair behind him, he looked much like a weeping lion in the harsh light.

Tsunade bowed her head. "You are in no condition to return to a mission after fighting your way back to the border. Denied. You will recuperate and leave it to others to handle." Tsunade said.

"And the retrieval team?" Neji asked.

"You will leave immediately after being briefed." She turned to her anbu "Summon Hatake Kakashi and the others promptly, and make sure they are mission ready at the top of the hour. Everyone else, dismissed." The room exploded with ninja smoke, leaving only the proud Byakugan user and the Godaime Hokage as the smoke dissipated.

"What the _hell _were you thinking?" Tsunade's tone was no nonsense and demanding. She did not give him pause before continuing.

"You are in NO position of authority to criticize _my_ chief strategist and the Nara clan head. Particularly on a mission you did not lead and were not a participant of." Tsunade said, heels clicking as she looked up without fear straight into those piercing Byakugan eyes. "Consider yourself _very _lucky that I don't demote you over your baffling breach of protocol and that you didn't start a clan brawl." She snarled.

Neji was unperturbed by her irritation. "You know I am right," he remarked, thoughtfully, as he looked at her evenly. "You agree with my sentiments."

"Your clan's status, even as a branch member, has given you privlege and entitlement to think that I _care _about what you think." Tsunade snarled. "Because of your little stunt, you will be vice captain to Kakashi for this mission and afterwards for as long as I deem necessary. Perhaps this will teach you to actually think before spouting such stupidity."

"Your failures aren't mine, Hokage-sama. I will save her." Neji replied.

Tsunade grabbed him by the vest, pulling him down to her level. "Take that presumptuous attitude of yours and leave it with the mission, or you'll be babysitting geinin for the rest of your life." She said without threat, but promise, for the Godaime Hokage did not say anything that she would not do.

"So you would have me leave her there if she is dead? Abandon the mission if the Iwa nin are all around?" Neji retorted.

He paused, then, looking down at the woman seeing how deeply concerned and taken she was with the situation at hand. Tsunade's eyes gave her away. It was clear in those hazel eyes, her worry, her distress at the situation. His words. His words had been presumptuous. "Hokage-sama, I-" Neji's eyes shuttered with apology in motion.

"No. Don't." Her fist tightened in his vest, amber eyes sparking heatedly. Taking a deep breath, as if to continue her shouting, Tsunade paused, and exhaled heavily, letting her hand drop.

There was more than distress for a missing shinobi in her eyes. The loss, for each and every soul, was one that she felt acutely, but it was more than that. The shadow of haunted memory was rich in her expression, skeletons from decades ago working to rise again.

Men that might have been saved, and children that shouldn't have had to die. The ones that she could have made a difference to-and failed.

"Just _bring her back,_" Tsunade's voice wavered, the steel of resolve solid behind it. Turning back to stare out the windows-to the graveyards of battles past, to the memorial stone of fallen souls, to the unrecovered bodies-she drew a tired hand over her eyes.

"Just bring her home."

…...

The vibrant young woman faded into something else, then. It was not that she was any more or any less than what her contemporaries were familiar with-simply that it was different. Her mind raced, assessing the information she had. Even knowing that the individual responsible for the diversion rarely survived, she had elected to stay behind, if only to buy them time. That did not mean that she would go peacefully into her grave.

The odds were stacked against the blonde kunoichi, but _that_ was nothing new. It seemed that unfair fights were nothing more than an occupational hazard. Ino grinned savagely. Numbers were, after all, just numbers-there were ways to rectify that situation. Ino got to work.

The trip wires were well covered, and Ino brushed the sweat off of her brow. Shikamaru had taught her that trick. She bit her lip. There was no time to be thinking of that. She didn't have much longer before Iwa was coming and if they tripped them too soon, it really would be all over. She jumped into the trees, sliding the porcelean mask over her face as she waited for them, tense. Sweat dripped down her face, her golden hair damp with perspiration as she silently cursed Iwa for their dense forests and humid weather. Flies buzzed above her hiding place as she held her breathe.

…...

Kazuga Itarashi was a Iwagakure ninja, though he didn't look like one. Taller than most, he stood at six foot four, towering over his fellow ninja. His skin was pale almost to the point of grey and unhealthy looking. Strong cheek bones and a firm jaw distinguished him and the years of little to no sleep had forever brandished the dark gray smudges around them. On top of his head almost in direct contrast to his skin pigmentation was bright target worthy full red hair. He was either stupid, or dangerous to wield such a color. Frost colored eyes, nearly translucent, took in the forest floor that made no sound, save for the beat of insects wings. Kazuga's eyes narrowed, wrinkles on his forehead creasing beneath his Iwa hitai-ate that covered the choppy locks that weren't bound in the unruly ponytail behind him.

There was something off about the feel of the forest, something that should be registering but wasn't, like a word on the tip of his tongue that wouldn't come. He couldn't pinpoint what it was, but the squad leader could feel it. Something wasn't right. Kazuga's squad around him moved, rustling through the brush, exploring the area as they searched for the missing children stolen from the lab. Years of investment, and research would be lost and heads would roll if they could not find the children and apprehend those responsible.

Kazuga shuddered, for there were far worse things that death in their country. He had a slight limp, a battle wound from a worthy opponent, and felt the tip of his ear that was no longer there, a habit he had picked up in his more recent ninja battles. Still, for all of the deafening silence of the region, he couldn't shake the impending sense of trouble. What made it all the more problematic, though, was that he couldn't identify what it was.

Mifune, one of the first string trackers, stepped foward as he laughed in cold humor at their mission objective. About to berate him sharply to pay attention, Kazuga heard the sound before it registered, and his eyes widened. "MOVE!" He cried. The sharp twang of wires tripped into motion was all the warning that the squad would get-and by then, it was far too late.

Kazuga had figured it out as he flew across the lush forest bracing himself for impact. What had set the entire background ascew was the lack of any animal life. There had not been a peep of a bird, the sound of squirrels or any other woodland creatures. Instinct had saved Kazuga's life in the past, but the short lived knowledge had come too late now. He was getting careless. The silence, formerly accredited to his men sweeping the area, had been a ploy. He had overlooked the obvious. Traps had been set, disturbing the wildlife..and there would be a price to pay for his oversight.

His entire squad was blown backwards into the brush dragged along the surface of the forest floor. Bleeding from a gash to his head, ears ringing, he glared malevolently at the wreckage of the explosion, finding his feet once more._ Well played _he admonished in his thoughts to the mystery ninjas. Traps, little better than what a genin could set, had done in jonin-level ninja. Sets of prints scattered the area leading in three different directions. The foot prints matched the descriptions of those they had caught. Clearly the explosion was to take out as many as they could. They had either taken the children and run, a stupid plan on their part. Or they were hiding the children and trying to defeat them here and now.

Kazuga had no choice. He had to split the forces, what was left of them. Half would persue further to the border, see if they could recover the children had the ninja taken them. The remaining would deal with this nuisance and cover their flank for their return. Whoever had caused this would pay dearly Kazuga promised staring at the dead bodies of his comrades. This farce would come at a high price-and to whomever was responsible, the only acceptable forfeit would be their life

"Spread out. Split up, capture those responsible and find the brats." He snarled.

Kazuga's eyes swept the charred remains of what had been more than a fourth of his force, silently taking in the damage. Registering the nuanced detail that had been inlayed into the traps' design, the man was struck with a chilling realization.

"What are you all standing around for? We have work to do." He ordered.

Abruptly, he did not know which to be more concerned about-returning alive, in failure, from this retrieval…or the sudden realization that he may not even survive to fail. Summoning the rest of his team, those still alive and capable, he set their orders to kill on sight. There would be no capture for shinobi of this calibre. There would be no interrogation and thus no stories to cover over or explain. He would meet the stakes that had been offered. Today, they only dealt in death.

…...

The golden haired Yamanaka grinned in exultation, lighting from the trees like a song bird as the tripped explosion rocked the forest. Tinder ignited in brilliant sparks, sending flames spurting, darkening the skies not canopied by forest tops.

She felt their deaths, magnificent in her triumph. They could not afford to ignore her presence. It was almost like an obscene gesture to their very faces. She had killed a fourth of the task force, probably the stupid ones that had little to no skill anyways, but they would be looking for revenge. The explosion had single handedly covered Shika's tracks and her own making it more difficult for the squad they had sent after Chouji and Shikamaru who had a significant head start on them now. They would find the other trails she had left for them, hopefully split up further to find her. She would take them out, one by one, group by group. Now she just needed to find a place to hole up and stash her body somewhere they would never find her. Atleast she hoped.

…...

Neji didn't have to wonder what the pinneapple haired genius was up to. Shikamaru's cigarette smoke gave him away as he stood in the meadow that his team was supposed to meet in, surrounded by ash. Was Neji supposed to feel sorry for the shadow user? The strategist took another deep drag from his cigarette, exhaling it, as Neji came forward.

"If you think I'm going to defy Tsunade's orders for your conscience's sake, you thought wrong" Neji told him firmly, pearlescent eyes unwavering.

"That's not why I'm here" Shikamaru told him, hands shaky as he smoothed through his spiky hair, to scratch the back of his head.

Rationally, he knew that the Hyuuga would never understand. He didn't want to-but there _had_ to be a way to make it make sense to the man. He also as a clan head couldn't afford the political ramification of isolating the Hyuuga even if Neji was only a branch member. The mission hadn't been black and white. And in that moment, with those children—and Ino, sword drawn with calm determination, there had only been one decision. It didn't even matter if it had been the right one, anymore.

"Then why are you here?" Neji retorted, folding his arms across his chest.

"Because there's somethings you need to know if you're trying to find her." Shikamaru told him. "And without Chouji with you, you're running the mission blind."

_Perhaps not the best choice of words_, he thought as Neji grew visibly tense.

"The only thing I want to know is why you thought it was a good idea to leave Ino stranded, surrounded by a squadron of Iwa nin alone" Neji replied, tone dark.

Shikamaru took a deep breathe."We have intel from every single one of those children on who is behind this massive clan kidnapping. We didn't know the two missions were connected. Every. Single. One. That wouldn't have happened unless there had been some sacrifice. The mission has always been the priority, the objective. And especially given the weight of this particular mission, I would have thought that you, of all people, would understand that value." Shikamaru said, hurt evident in his tone.

"You abandoned your teammate for the mission. Just say it already." Neji told him, not accepting his justifications and excuses any longer. "There is nothing you can say to redeem what you've done. You sacrificed your team for children. There is always another way."

"You dont realize-" Shikamaru protested desperately.

"Clearly" Neji replied scathingly. Something snapped in the cloud gazer.

"Damn it, what about this do you not _comprehend?_ This isn't difficult, Neji! Two hundred different plans. Two hundred different ideas, and I failed. Me, the genius.. I didn't have _one_ that would have gotten us all out alive! And even knowing that, I still couldn't ask her to stay!" Shikamaru yelled, fists clenched as he got into the Byakugan users face.

_I failed her._

Had they both known they had been thinking the same thought, there may have been more empathy from the Byakugan user.

"That still doesn't explain why you left her out there to die." Neji retorted, unimpressed.

"Because I didn't" The protest was immediate and vehement. "I didn't leave her to die. Of all of us, she has the best chance. And she knows it. Which is why she choose to stay"

"And why is that?" Neji asked coldly.

"Do you know nothing about the Yamanaka clan's abilities? Ino can switch bodies with people, slit their throats before they know it and dissapear back to her own body before they bat an eyelash." Shikamaru replied.

"Of course I'm aware of that. Do you take me for a fool? That doesn't mean she has the stamina to manage a squad of _thirty _on her own after breaking into a compound facility. She doesn't have the chakra to take on so many and to expound the risk further by leaving her body vulnerable."

Shikamaru sighed, taking another drag of his cigarette, exhaling as he shook.

"She is my best friend. You don't know how hard it was. You can't possibly know." Shikamaru replied, voice choked with emotion.

"You were the mission leader. You were supposed to _protect_ her." Neji told him, finger stabbing him accusingly in the chest.

"I was the highest ranking officer. I was not the leader." Lifting his shaking cigarette to his lips, Shikamaru closed his eyes-hoping, just for a moment, to scent the pungent aroma of flowers and steel... To believe that she was there. "We're ninja, Neji. We weren't meant to be protected. She knew that when she signed on for this."

"This absolves you of nothing." Neji stated. "We may be weapons. We may be nothing more than that to everyone else-but she is your friend. Your best friend. Don't protect the ninja. Protect the people you care for _most_." Neji replied, eyes meeting his. Shikamaru looked away, unable to meet that accusing pearlescent gaze.

"You couldn't possibly understand. Ino… Ino has always called the shots. She makes her own decisions." Shikamaru's tone was weak.

"And you made the decision to leave her. My team is here." Neji told him dismissively.

"There's a reason why I choose to leave, Neji. Its because out of all of us, growing up with her, she played the best at hide and seek. She had the most chance of all of us to do the most damage. Because she has the training to make it, to hold out until you can get there." Shikamaru told him.

"For your sake and hers, you'd better hope you're right." Neji told him, turning from him towards his team.

"Yo" Kakashi's masked face greeted him with eyes closed.

"I'm surprised you're even here on time, much less properly equipped" Neji retorted, tone sharp and hostile.

"Retrieval of a Konoha nin takes precedence over saving kittens and helping old ladies cross the streets." Kakashi replied, scratching his white hair with a chuckle. Memory lurked in his gaze, sharp and poignant.

Neji ignored him as he looked over the other members of their team.

"Nii-san" Hinata greeted as she stood by the silent Shino, who tipped his head in acknowledgement of the other Hyuuga. The other obnoxious member of team eight decided to announce his presence with a tantrum.

"Can we get this bullshit over and done with, and get on the way? the scent's getting cold" Kiba complained. Akamaru sprawled out on the grass, tail thumping every now and then when Hinata would reach over to scratch behind his ears.

"Is this it?" Kakashi asked. "This is our task force" Neji told him tone sour and prickly. Kakashi nodded in thanks.

"You all know why we're here. I'm Hatake Kakashi, and I will be leading this operation with Hyuuga Neji as my vice captain. The situation is this: Yamanaka Ino is surrounded by Iwa-nin, on their territory. We need to make haste to reach her, expending chakra to port there in leaps and bounds. You'll feel the drain in your chakra, but don't expend to the point of danger, in the event of encountering the enemy. Don't fall behind. Don't waste chakra. Know your limits and speak up. When we're closer, I'll brief you further."

_ We'll bring her back,_ his haunted eye said-be it the girl herself, or a corpse, Yamanaka Ino would come home.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: This ficlet was inspired, and cowritten by Thirdtimescharm and her wonderful ideas that keep me from dying of writers block. Make sure you let her know your thanks as well.

Shikamaru was furiously packing weaponry when his father walked in on him. Nara Shikaku eyed his son who had yet to acknowledge his presence. Instead, his son's movements were tense and harried, determination etched in every gesture he made. It was something that went against the boy's inherently easy going and lazy nature.

"You're not going to stop me" He said finally, turning to face his father.

Shikaku sighed. Guess he was getting older-the mental battlefield that was certain to follow such a declaration had no appeal for him any longer. Perhaps it was merely that Shikamaru had gotten older as well. There was no predetermined winner any longer. His son could hold his own.

"You know I can't let you go." Shikaku told him, lighting up a cigarette, saying it calmly.

Shikamaru's fists clenched.

"You have responsibilities here. You're the clan head now. You can't go galavanting off when you think it's convenient. You are needed here, particularly because you were just sworn into the duty. If you leave now, you will loose significant standing and credibility with the elders, the backbone in which you are standing on now." Shikaku told him.

"Ino might be dead. I have to go." Shikamaru replied impatiently, closing the pack, turning away from his father as he looked out the window-there was no hope in his eyes as he stared in the direction he had come from.

"It's my understanding that you left her there." Shikaku said, black eyes meeting his son's when Shikamaru jolted around, galvanized by the accusation. Shikaku took a drag from his cigarette, leaning against the doorway.

"You heard wrong." He hissed, jaw clenched in an attempt to contain his anger.

"Then set me straight. What happened?" Shikaku asked, smoke rising and flowing around his cigarette.

"She told us to go. She volunteered." Shikamaru couldn't even meet his father's eyes, feeling the stinging sensation burning, threatening in his eyes. He swallowed his feelings. He had to find her, hokage's orders be damned. He would deal with the consequences later.

"And you didn't stop her?" Shikaku asked eyebrow rising.

"I had fifty five children with intelligence against a sixty squad jounin task force trailing us with no reinforcements and Ino is as stubborn as Sakura's namesake. There was nothing I could have done! I had to make a choice!" Shikamaru snapped.

"And you chose the mission." Shikaku's tone was neutral, attempting to keep the accusation from tainting his words.

What war had his son fought in his lifetime? What loss, on massive standards, had he endured? Asuma died far too soon, but that was the risk of a Shinobi. He couldn't understand-what could have possibly goaded Shikamaru into making this decision, when Shikaku himself couldn't fathom doing such a thing, he, who had fought in the Third Great War itself. His son was supposed to be a genius. He, of all minds, knew there would _always_ be another way.

Shikamaru hung his head, blame weighing heavier on his shoulders. "I don't understand. We learned in the academy that the mission was always the priority-"

"You were raised better than that." Shikaku told him, voice sharper now. "The academy's training was under Sandaime's rule and during war time. Rules are suspended, but never like this" Shikaku told him.

Shikamaru looked up at his father. "If we can stop the clan children being abducted with this knowledge then we might be able to save Niamu and Renjya-our own that were taken! I had the clans interests at heart too." Shikamaru said.

Shikaku gave a nod. "I understand why you did it. I just...can't believe that you did." Shikaku replied.

On paper, the justifications were sound-logically, his son's words made _sense._ But emotionally? No one who knew Yamanaka Ino would let this stand. There was something about his son's friend-and teammate-that vitalized people around her. No one who knew her was left untouched.

"And yet I saved fifty five children that never would have had a chance. We now have a generation of new clans in our midst, and the information liable to bring down the whole clan abduction operation. Ino will make it until they get there. She promised. I want to help-"

"I think you've helped enough. You need to go explain this all to the clan. You better thank your lucky stars Inoichi is on a mission. You will have to explain to him later as well, no matter the outcome." Shikaku told him. "Head to the clan hall. The elders are expecting you. Now." Shikaku closed the door.

Age wore heavy on his bones as the previous clan head stared morosely at the wooden structure now separating them. For so long, he had thought that the boy-now man-was something akin to a carbon copy of him. Never before had there been such distance. Never had Shikaku felt such shame at something his son had done.

Perhaps, the man mused, Hatake had been right all along. Those who abandoned their comrades were worse than scum. It was something they-_all _of them-had forgotten, as the years passed by. The missions..they were important. They were the livelihood of the village, and their country. There were even moments when a shinobi had the opportunity to do the right thing-more than an assassination, or an ambush, or theft-but saving the life of an innocent man trying to improve his country, or rescuing children who had endured their very humanity being stripped away from them.

But at what cost did such a thing come? At the price of the lives one had trained with, grew with, trusted? Not for the first time, and far be it from the last, Shikaku regretted the Sandaime and his teachings. Shikamaru had been nothing but logical in his plans. They had been told-from the very beginning, by Ibiki Morino in their first chuunin exams, that the mission was what mattered most. Godaime Hokage had changed things-many things-since coming to power..but some things went too deeply to be taught out so easily.

He could not, for all of the regret that he felt, blame Shikamaru. He was giving orders and following lessons from a rulebook that had been written by a long-dead man, irrelevant to the day and age. And, even more than he regretted the Sandaime's teachings (understandable as they were twofold-first, taking into account his war mongering advisors that he had been unable to strip from power, and the very fact that they were at war) Shikaku wished that the Yondaime had never been forced to make the sacrifice he had. More than just being a good leader, a sound tactician, an excellent shinobi, a phenomenal teacher…the Yondaime-_Minato-_had been a good man. He touched those around him in ways that still resounded, close to two decades after his death.

Kakashi-eccentric, offbeat, difficult individual that he was-had long since known what everyone else had never wanted to see, Shikaku concluded wearily. It was never just about the mission.

And, he prayed to the Kami that, what Shikamaru had done, would not have a price that he would not be able to pay.

Meanwhile, Shikamaru laid his head in his hands. He couldn't hide the tears.

…...

The team set out at a dogged pace as they ported through fire country, their chakra signatures sparking with their use. They were safe on their territory, but no one could let their guard down. They were expected to enter the area of engagement within two hours. However, due to the relentless hounding they endured, goaded more quickly by Neji's driving pace up front, the time was quickly being eaten up.

"We need to get there as soon as possible. I'm not sure how all these rests are going to keep her alive." Neji hissed at Kakashi as they stopped, yet again, in another attempt to recuperate from the grueling pace.

"What -crawled- up your ass- today?" Kiba demanded gasping for breathe. Shino was winded, and Hinata pulled up alongside him, trying to compose herself because of her cousin's baleful glare, but her cheeks were flushed bright pink and her soft gasps were not mistakable. Akamaru gave a small whine, panting for breathe. Kakashi didn't have a silver hair out of place, wasn't even winded as he leaned against the tree.

"Are you complaining again, Inuzuka?" Neji rounded on him, trying to leash his mounting irritation with the younger man.

"No. Just curious—what is up with you and the Yamanaka girl to make her get to you this badly? One night stand? She walk out on you? Unfinished business of some sort?" Kiba exclaimed hands on his hips as he gave Neji a toothy leer.

Neji felt the twitch of irritation and not for the last time wished he could throttle the red triangle cheeked dog boy. Unfortunately, it seemed that he was rather crucial to this retrieval. Punishment, indeed.

"She's a fellow ninja, part of the rookie nine-" He began, calmer than he really felt.

"Hinata, you know your cousin. He banged her, didn't he?" Kiba asked with a fanged grin and a wink as he elbowed Hinata, cutting Neji off midway through.

Hinata's cheeks flushed an even brighter red at his statement. "K-Kiba-"

Neji turned, jaw clenched. Hinata's protests at her teammate's comments died an abrupt death at the tone the other Hyuuga had adopted. "You will make no insinuation to her honor and virtue or mine" He said under no uncertain terms.

"Got you all hot and bothered, huh? Funny. You talk of honor, but all of this stinks of something baser, to me." Kiba replied amused despite himself.

"One more word, flea ridden mongrel. Give me an excuse to-" Neji snapped.

"Now children" Kakashi began, appearing between the two of them. With frustration, Neji muttered something about the pervertedness of sensei's and their would be students and walked off.

"I-I wish you wouldn't p-provoke him" Hinata said to Kiba, brow furrowed as gentle pearlescent eyes met his.

Shino sighed. "Was that really necessary?" He added.

Kiba snarled, eyes narrowing in irritation at his teammates. "What's the big deal? This whole situation reeks like week old garbage." He said with a snort.

"D-don't you think you should take this a little m-more seriously," Hinata queried timidly, eyes downcast. "She's one of ours.."

"Man, I can't help it," the Inuzuka growled lowly. "This whole thing sucks. How did we get saddled with the crazy lazy pervert and the stick up his ass. We should've taken the original mission in the first place. Then this entire thing wouldn't've happened." Letting his head fall back as his eyes shut, Kiba sighed heavily. "This sucks..."

"Kakashi-san, you haven't been forthcoming with the details. What _is_ the precise situation?" Shino asked him hands in the pockets of his jacket as he regarded the older nin.

"You kids hang tight. I'm gonna go check on our ever cheerful vice captain" Hatake smiled ruffling Kiba's hair.

"Oye!" Kiba snarled, eliciting a giggle from Hinata who brought out her water for the team, soothing the beast man's wounded pride. _Such a gentle spirit_ Kakashi thought. The brown haired boy's eyes narrowed, scowling at the swirling leaves of the jounin's previous presence. Kakashi's sharp ears didn't miss Shino's words.

"I feel," Shino remarked blandly, "as if this is going to be an unpleasant day."

Abruptly, a wave of solemnity washed over the squad at large. Watching the retreating back of the older Jonin, almost as if in mutual thought, team Eight wondered-just how serious _was_this mission? It was a retrieval, they knew, but-this? There were sharp edges and shadows to a familiar contemporary who rarely had been anything other than polished steel, perfect professionalism.

Intuition had served them well, over the years. Indeed, as one of the few elite tracking teams of the village, they were the best at what they did-but something, Kiba had identified, _reeked_ in this situation..and they didn't know what.

Kakashi fixed his thoughts and eye ahead on one Hyuuga captain. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he sauntered over in his most unthreatening lacksadaisical way.

"Such gracious kids," Kakashi remarked, looking at Neji with a cheerful smile, cloth affixed to his features to create a crease of humor. Neji did not respond.

"So." He started cheerfully giving the opportunity for the Hyuuga to say something, anything. "Go away, Hatake." Neji told him, turning from him.

Kakashi's mood changed, shifted as the man was prone to do. "They are your teammates for this mission." Kakashi fixed his eyes with a serious gaze of his brown eye. "Are you saying that they don't deserve to know the details of this mission and it's captain's involvement?" Kakashi asked eyebrow raised.

"Are you accusing me of withholding information?" Neji demanded, bristled, defensive and ready to strike.

"Yep." Kakashi replied, calm in the face of the Hyuuga's growing irritation. "That's exactly what I'm doing." He replied. "Let me make something clear to you Neji, something that I'm not sure you realize. As captain of this little crew, I am responsible for everyone involved, and the entirety of their circumstances that revolve around this particular mission, including your smiling face."

"And had Tsunade known about this little attachment of yours, she probably would have suspended you as well in lieu of what is coming into play right now on this very mission. A lesson you learned as a geinin. Your matters of this subject have forced my hand, at this point. I think you owe it to me and to everyone else now involved." Kakashi told him frankly.

"And what subject do you think it is?" Neji's tone was sulky, bitter even, so Kakashi knew he was on the right trail.

"How long now, Neji?" Kakashi answered the Hyuuga's question with one of his own.

Neji sighed, closing his eyes against Kakashi's forward gaze, disapproving body language and accusing tone, against the current teammates who whispered among themselves about the whole situation. Against the truth he'd known in his own heart all along, and had refused to do anything about. He closed his eyes against his own guilt, his own responsibility in allowing this to happen.

"I didn't mean for this to happen." Neji murmured softly.

"No one ever does." Kakashi replied. Whether he was being sarcastic or compassionate, even Neji could not tell. "But I need to know. How long, now?" Kakashi pressed.

"How long would you believe," Neji retorted silkily, calm returning to his features as those pearlescent eyes hardened. "If I told you years, could you fathom it? Or should I tell you that her equanimity in the face of adversity is appealing, and I have just now found myself intrigued?" Neji retorted, hiding behind his sarcasm.

Kakashi paused, stymied by the words. The facade of cheer melted off of his face, as he attempted to process what the Hyuuga had told him. _Years._ He had loved the Yamanaka girl for years, holding it close within his heart. Never acting, never showing-and yet, feeling it all this time. "I would believe the truth," Kakashi remarked at last, feeling fatigue settle deep into his bones. Young love he thought with a sigh. It never ended well. Neji did not reply. Kakashi was not going to let it drop.

"I realize that you may be embarrassed, ashamed by everything that is happening, but this does come as a shock. You hated her, called her all sorts of childish names during the chuunin exams. Am I to understand that beneath all of that, this has been going on for that many years?" Kakashi asked him. Was the boy obsessed and they were only now seeing signs of the prognosis? Alarms went off in Kakashi's mind of prodigies and their obcessions.

"No" Neji replied firmly putting Kakashi's worries about his mental health to rest. "I was a different person when I said those words. I shouldn't have said them then, and I regret that too" Neji said his face taking on a shade of remorse.

"And yet, you never said anything, to anyone," Kakashi mused quietly.

"I am not _ashamed,_" Neji hissed hotly, temper brimming close to the surface. "I have nothing to be ashamed of. She was simply not mine to have." His admonition was bitter, for sure.

"Ah." Kakashi said finally understanding his position and the circumstance surrounding it. "For honor, you stepped aside. And lo and behold the man who was supposed to protect her did not."

"He does not deserve her," was the firm response more befitting of the proud Hyuuga.

And- Neji remembered. It was impossible not to. The fierce smile on the woman's face as she fought. There was an exuberant joy present, the joy of simply living in her movements that made them beautiful. Grace, she had been born with-but the beauty and the breathlessness that she left him with, had only come from years of living. Ino Yamanaka was light and color and wake. She was the storm and the calm before it.

There was something about the woman that had moved him, in a way he had never felt before. Neji was not prone to crushes. Ino did not exist in his world before this profound notion. Then again she did not simply exist when she did finally enter his world of perception. She _lived_, and relished every moment of it. Her tears were unrepentant, and her laughter, unapologetic. In a sudden moment of incredible realization, Neji, for the first time in his life, wished that he had the selfsame courage to live.

It was akin to the moment when his battle with Naruto had changed his fate, when his destiny had been rewritten. But that was comradely and in his youth. The same feeling of change, of a desperate and needed change was there, present. His life, thereafter, was clearly defined in two parts. There was only before Ino-and after. Ino made him burn, made him feel most severely of all the emotions in the spectrum of feelings. He was overflowing now, where his emotional stream had merely trickled.

_Memories of the girl, golden hair flowing, her smile, those blue orbs, by the river. _

He didn't just desire her for her looks. He appreciated her for who she was, for her flaws and her features. He wanted her in his life, he desired for her to love him, to be with him, to grow old together though that time might be shorter than anticipated in a ninja's life. This was the kind of love that sank it's teeth in and refused to let go as much as he had tried. It was inescapable. Unshakable in its resolve and tenacity. And yet, he found that for the first time in so many years, he did not fight against these restrained bonds. No, he had no wish to avoid the sentiment. He would not deny it.

And the disappointment he had felt in realizing that she would never love him. That her heart belonged to another genius clan member, one she was destined for. Yet again in his life, he was second best. Seeing her with him-laugh with him, fight with him. Bleed for him and now apparently die for him. It was everything that he would have wanted, yet, the Nara took it for granted. It was troublesome. A bother. A deep pang. The genius never knew what life had gifted him with. Stars had fallen and crashed gentler than his wounded heart.

"There is no need for me to step aside any longer. I am humble enough to acknowledge my short comings. But he does not deserve her heart, or her compassion. Her integrity is wasted on him. He betrayed her trust in him." Neji's tone was fierce, adamant. Ever the proud paramour. Kakashi's look was considering. He finally found the words.

"Let me be clear. I will not hesitate to send you back should you compromise this mission," Kakashi replied calmly. "She doesn't need your messy emotions, Neji. She-by your own admission-needs to be protected and she decided to protect. Find that. Find the stillness in your heart, and find the will of fire burning fiercely._That_ is how we will bring her home." Kakashi told him.

Neji was surprised by the depth of... feeling from the older man. He was a pervert, after all. Neji hadn't expected this sort of understanding from him. But he was wrong about one thing.

"You discredit my skill," the young man remarked at last, having wrestled with introspective silence for long moments. One heartbeat. Two. Briefly, Neji wondered-was her heart doing the same thing? "I will find her. She will be alive. We will bring her back, and she will be well."

"We will find her, and I hope that you are right." Kakashi replied. Running a hand roughly through disheveled silver, the man only hoped that Neji was right. There was a sudden, sinking sense that-there was _nothing_in this world that would be able to fix what might break, should the blonde not be alive. He had known that feeling too many times."Saddle up kids. We're moving out." He told the others, shouldering his pack.

"Aren't you going to tell us?" Kiba demanded.

"Nope." Kakashi smiled with another ruffle of his hair before disappearing. "You are on a need to know basis, Inuzuka. I will tell you when you need to know" Kakashi told him cheekily, false smile firmly in place. He glanced back at his co-captain, and wondered-how heavy did the baggage weigh, that unshakable resolve to believe that she _would_ be alive?

"Arghh! I'm gonna maim him!" Kiba cried, shattering the silence as he bolted after the team leader. Akamaru barked, following after him.

Neji watched, surprised, and silently grateful for the old man. He had spared him public humiliation in front of his peers. Neji would not forget it.

"H-how far are we away from our destination?" Hinata inquired timidly, lifting her eyes to both captains as they moved out. The geography was of no issue to this team-there was no land that the nose could not track, no air that a bug could not travel, no stone that the eye could not see through. What would hinder their travel, their objective, would be their hearts.

"I estimate about a half hour if we hold this pace." Kakashi replied. Kiba shot him a disgusted stare. How the hell was the old man not even breathing hard at this rate?

"How do we know she's still even alive?" Kiba grumbled, irritation leaking out.

Sure, he might not know everything about what was going on, the Inuzuka concluded, but he was no slouch. Having walked in on the heels of Shikamaru's conversation, everyone knew it was dire. It seemed that it was only a fool's hope at best, that the Yamanaka was still alive.

"We were charged with bringing her back," Kakashi rebuked mildly. "No matter what state she's in." He said, as they entered into the forest.

Kiba stared at the silver-haired man's back, eyes wider than before. The implicit understanding hit home and he nearly tripped, missing a branch. It did not matter if she was dead or alive. Yamanaka Ino would be brought back home.

…...

Irritated was an understatement. Kazuga was furious. Starting with with thirty highly trained professionals, they had set upon a staked explosion and he had lost valuable ninja. Now about an hour and a half after searching the woods, two more of his men had been laid had sprung onto the unsuspecting idiots and again more tripwire though they must be out of it by now. Had they not learned from the deaths of their comrades? Branches sharpened by kodachi had stabbed into their ankles, rendering them useless. Kazuga had to expend men to get them out of there, if they could survive the blood loss and it wasn't poisoned. Frost blue eyes narrowed as he fingered his sliced ear.

It was becoming clear that this was not the work of three ninja, that the children were not anywhere in the area. The prints didn't match. This was the work of one solitary ninja, who had taken a sizable chunk out of his forces. This renegade was toying with them. Had led them away from the scene, or was keeping them from going after the children. Until they took care of this nuisance they could not pursue, though the chances that the children were already out of reach were steadily rising. Kazuga hated wasting his time.

"Listen up" Kazuga ordered through the paper jutsu. "We are going to split up in two man groups. Comb the forest. Find this son of bitch and end them." Kazuga snarled.

Teams hailed him back in understanding, picking different directions.

Kazuga returned to his vice captain, taking another long hard look at the map marking off territories that were examined. Whoever this bastard was, they wouldn't be able to hide for long.

Lodged deep in the tree trunk, above the roots which had been her opening point, Ino blinked, eying Kazuga through the light trailing in and trying to get a view the map. She would have to keep moving, but she needed to see the lay of the land. She sensed a squirrel nearby and summoned her chakra, using her kekkei genkai to transfer.

Chittering, she moved the squirrel through the trees, launching and vaulting over the green tops, settling for a view to the right of the men whilst occupying herself with squirrel like activities. It looked like she was towards the right of the dense forest, with mountainous regions further east of her position. To the north was swamp and marshes that led into a river to the west. That would be her escape point... if she could survive. Her plan sprang into fruition as she released the jutsu returning to her body. Cerulean eyes narrowed. They wouldn't know what hit them.

…...

"Nigaro report" Kazuga's rough voice cut into the radio static, but all he could hear was a blood curdling scream.

"Teams 4 and 6 get there now." Kazuga ordered as he hustled through the forest. He arrived, leaping over the foliage just in time to see the two of them dying on each others swords. Their choked gasps were the last noises distinguishable.

"Captain..." His ninja said, looking on in mute horror as the two slumped over, impaled on each others blades.

Kazuga's eyes widened. "Was there bad blood between Haraga and Kento?" Kazuga demanded. The four were in shock. Kazuga slapped one of them, shaking the other. "Answer me!" He demanded.

"No. They were best friends..." was Hatana's stumbled reply.

Kazuga's eyes narrowed. There was something else afoot here. But what sort of jutsu could cause his own soldiers to turn against each other like this? Kazuga's sharp mind was turning, mulling over the situation.

"Get back to work. Use your heads, and dont fall for any more traps." Kazuga ordered voice rough as he rubbed the back of his neck. Sweat poured down his back as the humidity rose. Frost eyes looked to the sky. Dark clouds threatened from the west. It would rain. Sharp canines bit into his grinning lip.

…...

"What do we know about the situation we're headed into?" Shino asked, brow furrowed sunglasses reflecting his features as they ran, landscape blurring from the speed with which the shinobi employed.

"Not enough," Kakashi replied shortly. "Ino is surrounded by at least 60 Iwa nin, reported to be jonin level or above, somewhere in the dense forest just south of Iwagakure. A river borders it to the east, and mountains run through the region further west." He paused, running a hand roughly through his hair. Their prospects only got grimmer.

"If I had to guess, I would presume that the enemy is scattered, possibly in pairs or three man teams, trying to locate Yamanaka. We know her fighting techniques-she'll require a secluded space to secret away her body while working her Jutsu. Pay attention to possible genjutsu she could hide under, or natural barriers she could use. Find her, don't engage the enemy. We will not engage unless absolutely necessary, until we have confirmation of her whereabouts." The man's dark eye narrowed grimly, anticipating a fight from the team under his command. True to his instincts, there were expressions of protest from every quarter-but it was from an unexpected voice that the argument came from, first.

Neji protested, pale eyes snapping with barely repressed fury. "That's-"

"-That's bullshit," Kiba cut in, snarling angrily. "Why the fuck not? If we can take them out directly, we can only be helping her. You said it, her body's probably stashed somewhere…" Kiba ranted.

Hinata looked up at the quarreling men, features characteristically serious, although there was a touch of melancholy as she glanced away. "T-that is, if there are any of th-them left alive."

Kiba did not reply. Neji was tense, wanting to say something but words lodged in his clenched jaw, silent as the grave. If any of them were still alive. If Ino was still alive.

"Enough," Kakashi cut in, voice edged with authority. "While I can appreciate your honesty, we won't engage until we know Ino's location. To do anything less would be wasting our time-and gambling on her life. She could be in a fight she may not survive. We need to find her-fast." Expression softening minutely, his eye settled on Neji. To Kakashi's practiced eye, the young Anbu's temper was not just tangible, but visible-a fraying thread. "Her life is the most important thing; above all other priorities."

Neji knew that. But it served as a reminder. To do anything but look for Ino, now, would be bleeding precious seconds of her life away from her.

This was why Tsunade had made him leader, Neji thought, respect for the man steadily rising. Because he knew what it was like to fail on a mission like this. He was living proof of what could not happen here and now.

"But surely we are not planning on staying together? We will cover more ground if we split up logically giving us a higher chance of success at finding her." Shino stated.

"And that is where I defer to your knowledge. You all are the tracking experts." Kakashi's hands whirled through symbols and 5 of his ninja dogs arrived. Pakkun yipped as the other dogs smelled each other and looked to Kakashi, following after the sprinting group as they talked.

"Each of you will have a dog. Except Kiba of course." Kakashi told them.

"That's because my nose is 100 times those lousy trained mutts." Kiba muttered. One of Kakashi's dogs growled. Akamaru snarled in response.

"Enough." Kakashi said. "Shino, I believe the Aburame clan has developed some excellent procedures when tracking to avoid detection." Kakashi prompted.

Shino nodded and stepped forward. "The females of this particular species in my hand secrete a highly potent pheromone when ready to breed." Shino told them as one of the female beetles climbed from his hand.

"Ugh..." Kiba choked, moving to the right of Shino. "I cant stand the stuff." He said moving upwind of the insects.

Kakashi's dogs however intently sniffed, making sure they memorized the scent. Pakkun gave a nod to Kakashi.

"The dogs will know the scent of the bugs pheromones now, and will also be searching for any traces of Ino with their own abilities. So whether the dogs find her, or the beetles, we all will still be able to reach her quickly, and quietly, without giving away our positions, or compromising Ino's position." Kakashi told them.

Neji was actually impressed by the plan. They would come in completely undetected to find her so as not to give away their own positions or draw attention to Ino herself. It was safe, silent and effective.

"We will stop to gear up before we reach our destination and at that point we go into stealth, complete silence to avoid detection." Kakashi told them.

"I have brought some of Ino's clothes, donated for the purpose to help us track her and get the scent and we'll get that out when we stop. From there we will split up into two man groups and find her. Do not encounter the enemy unless there is no choice. Our first priority is to find Ino. If you find her, assist in any way possible, until all of us rendezvous."

"Shouldn't we take her body and run if we find her?" Kiba pressed, insistent. "She'll be exhausted and more than likely out of chakra. She could be hurt-!"

"We will leave together. We have a better chance at success as a team, then one on one. There's too many of them not to travel in a group, ready to engage. We cant assume Ino's abilities will have taken out significant numbers in their ranks. For all we know she may be holed up and injured. Shino will your bugs know when to secrete?" Kakashi asked.

"They will memorize her scent as well when we stop. Everyone will have a beetle on them." Shino replied with a nod. The beetles flew from his body, landing gently on the shoulder of each paricipant.

As before, Neji fell to the flanks of the group. It was a tactically sound move. It was a gesture of faith. There were any number of reasons that Neji could employ to explain why he took up the rear post. He could fend them off with logic, and procure perfectly reasonable justifications for it.  
>But the truth was-was more than that.<p>

While the protruding veins around his eyes enabled him to a citrate his bloodline limit, to see more of their surroundings than any of his compatriots-there was only one thing that Neji truly saw. Ino.

She might be bloody, and she might be bruised. But, whatever condition she may be in when they found her, he vowed that-so long as she breathed, it would undoubtedly be the most beautiful that he had ever seen her.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Co written with my betamuse Thirdtimescharm. Shower her with love and praise.

With green eyes and bright bubblegum pink hair; it was awfully hard for the children to be suspicious and distrustful of the medic nin. She exuded safety and security merely by being herself. One Haruno Sakura was a natural, gifted even, with her love. It was something in her eyes, the whisker cheeked blonde thought as he took in the sight of her at work. She still hadn't noticed him, her attention undivided on her current patient.

Sakura Chan was open, trusting, giving and loving. There was no question of her intentions, as she took the vitals of the child on the medical table. She continued to smile at him, asking him various questions as she went about making notes on her clipboard. The child seemed reticent, unable to take in the fullness of Sakura's hospitality.

"Can you open really wide for me? Say AH-" She said.

"AHHH-" Came the reply of the child as Sakura's chakra accessed the situation.

Cavities for sure, cracked teeth which made her frown, but no damaging with his vocal chords or infection. His jaw bone had been broken, would need work. Other bones had jagged edges to them, a sure sign of abuse. He would need more specialized help. Sakura could regrow the teeth, and even perform the surgery to correct his jaw, but her services were required for the rest of the children, to properly diagnose them and delegate the tasks as needed. She was only one medic.

"Miss-" The child paused, having forgotten her name as Sakura turned.

"You can call me Sakura, Hachurou" Sakura replied kindly.

"Sakura san. What will happen to the blonde lady?" Hachurou's brown eyes were filled with concern for her safety, and a haunted knowledge, a depth of understanding of what they would do to her if she was caught. Sakura was taken aback by the look. It was something a child of his age should never even be aware of, much less have to shoulder.

Sakura was surprised by the maturiy held within those chocolate depths. _He knows she might die. He knows and he feels responsible for it. _

Sakura kept her smile firmly in place. "She will be fine." She replied with more confidence than she felt.

Hachurou stared at his feet as he thought about the woman who had saved him.

_Hachurou could remember with startling clarity the men who had beat him, who daily injected him with strange liquids, who had used awful jutsu on him to see if he could resist them, leaving him broken and shattered on the floor of the compound facility only to heal it and start again. The only comfort, the only joy was that he was not alone. There were other children, and they would care for him after they were done. They wouldn't heal them until the morning, until they needed them again for their experiments._

_ Then they had come. Three anbu nin, Konoha from the looks of it. Hachurou had been scared, afraid that this was some sort of trick or genjutsu placed on him. Or worse, that Konoha was taking them to do more harm. The one with the long blonde hair had taken off her mask, a surprise because Hachurou knew ninja weren't prone to revealing themselves. She ordered the others behind her to do so as well. She had broken the locks on their cells, opening the door. _

_ "Ino- what do you think you are doing?"One of the men with spiky black hair had hissed at her. _

_ "Our mission. We can't leave them Shika! They won't last long enough for us to come back. It's now or never-" The blonde one had hissed back. She then turned to face the children. _

_ "We are here to save you" She had declared boldly. Hachurou's eyes narrowed distrustfully. "If you get up and leave with us now, I promise you, on my life as a ninja, that you will be better treated. We will take you to Konoha, where you will be safe and cared for."_

_ Hachurou's anger had riled then. "How can we trust you? How do we know you don't work for them and that this isn't another trick to test our abilities?" He had demanded. _

_ She had smiled, but not the wicked sort of smile the others had used. Hers was gentle and soft, like his mothers had been. Blue eyes and long blonde hair fixated him as she walked in his direction. Hachurou had backed away, afraid. The guards beat him when he got angry and he could expect no kindness from these strangers. She kneeled before him instead of rounding on him, never once looking away from his chocolate eyes. _

_ "It's my job to protect my village with my life. If you come with me, you will be a part of my village. You can trust me because I keep my promises and I won't let you down" She told him. "What's your name little one?" Her eyes were kind. _

_ "Ha-Hachurou." He had answered, shyly. _

_ "Hachurou, my name is Yamanaka Ino." This was another startling surprise. Ninja did not reveal their identities, much less their names. If she was a liar, she was a good one as nothing in her body language gave him an impression of a lie. "We do not have much time. Come with us, all of you, and we will not let them harm you ever again." Ino promised, offering her palm._

_ His family had made promises with handshakes. Was this a sign? Hachurou wanted to believe her. He accepted her palm, determined that if she lied he would find a way to stop her, and free the rest of them...he hadn't believed her. _

_ And then, she had told them to run. She had told them to leave-she had sacrificed herself, for them. For all of them-her village, she had called them. _

Hachurou suddenly became agitated, angry even. He didn't know what to believe anymore. She had been so kind, and now she was probably dead. She was the one who had offered him light. She had brought them hope..and now, she was dead. She had to be. Hachurou didn't want to be lied to anymore.

"How do you know?" He demanded, eyes wide as he clenched his fists at her.

"Hachurou-" Sakura began startled by the anger emanating off of him. "NO! Answer me!" He demanded, in a rage as he grew even more unpredictable and his arms lashed out. Chakra flared, around him in waves. He broke a glass container, shattering it on the floor.

Naruto had seen enough. He appeared next to the boy in an instant. His hand intercepted the small arm, that was meant for Sakura-chan. Hachurou's eyes widened as he looked upon the older nin, saw the anbu gear he wore, and he burst into tears, trembling and shaking as he cried, overwhelmed.

Sakura shook her head at the blonde, pointing to the broom and dustpan with a checked gaze of contempt as her arms wrapped around Hachurou and lifted him up as the blonde began to sweep.

"These children have been through interrogation and torture, Naruto." She said softly. "They cant help themselves." She said, as she stroked his back and he held onto her muffling his sobs on her vest.

"Hey, Hachurou kun. I believe in the strength of my friends. Her name is Yamanaka Ino. And even growing up, she was the toughest person I know. She will be alright" Sakura told him.

"H-how do you know?" Hachurou sniffled.

"Because I know her. She's my best friend." Sakura told him. "I believe in the strength of my friends. So you don't have to cry. It's not your fault, Okay?" Hachurou's sobs lessened and more quickly than she ever could have anticipated, he stopped.

He wiped at the streaming tears, nodding, refusing to look at her eyes. Shifting uncomfortably against her, she set him down. Sakura's heart constricted as he left, her wishing him well as she closed the door. She leaned her forehead against the cool metal and closed her eyes. She could hear Naruto's anbu uniform shifting.

"That was a nice speech, Sakura chan." He told her kindly. "It would be really nice if you believed it."

Sakura felt the sob, strangled in her throat threatening to come out as she clenched her fists against the door, trembling herself, as Hachurou had done. The work that she had thrown herself into, in an attempt to banish the knowledge of what Ino-pig had done, was through. She could not keep her thoughts at bay, any longer. She could believe in the strength of her friends as she told Hachurou, but she was shinobi.

Sakura did not live in a world of illusions. Sakura was a medic. She might believe in those she loved, but the reality of their lives, of the limits a person could handle before they broke, before one's body caved from the stress and tension could not be pushed away. They lived, moment to moment-breathing, and hearts beating, a day at a time. An hour-or a minute. It was her job to keep the specter at bay, to fight to keep them in the land of the living-and all too often, she failed. She was too late. The thought of her friend's shattered corpse being brought back to her was enough to break her. Anything she tried to do for Ino, would be too late.

It was Naruto's hand on her shoulder that steadied her. It was his touch that brought cooling chakra to flow across her skin. It always was-and it seemed that, yet again, Naruto would be the anchor for her grief. Her eyes opened, a brilliant green that gleamed silver with tears, as she turned to face him.

Naruto smiled that thousand watt smile, blue eyes cooler and deeper than the lakes of Konoha. "Don't worry Sakura chan. I know Neji won't fail dattebayo." He told her with a thumbs up and his good guy pose.

"Neji?" Sakura replied, surprised. Naruto nodded with a knowing grin on his face. Sakura's look was questioning. Naruto shook his head, still smiling that smile at her.

"Want to go get some ramen with me?" He asked her. Sakura glanced at her watch. She hadn't taken her lunch yet...

"Sure" She replied.

…...

Kazuga's wheels were turning in the midst of his mind. Was their perpetrator from sand? People could be manipulated with puppet chakra and it was apparent that the scene had been orchestrated from the very start, for his own eyes to see. Genjutsu was plausible, but he would have sensed it, and his men were most clearly dead, their blood still on his hands meaning there was no illusion. He licked them absent mindedly. They were trying to invoke fear, panic within the group. Kazuga's eyes narrowed. The longer this went on the higher his desire to kill rose.

He was missing something important here. When they had broke into the base they had mentioned one was a shadow user, had choked out his men. That was a specific birthright only bequethed through the blood of a clan. This ninja was from Konoha...he grit his teeth, there were dozens of clans with abilities there and this was not the work of a shadow nin. What was he missing? His mind raced through possible explanations. Kazuga began to retrace his steps, ignoring the bodies and the confused looks of his subordinates. He made his way back to the explosion itself.

His eyes scanned the explosion piecing together the bits and pieces of information. How would he have avoided this kind of explosion? And suddenly a single green leaf fell from the canopy of tree tops above him. His eyes shot to the trees, and it appeared that he had found what he had been looking for. Kazuga bent low, and suddenly sprung into the air, reaching the branch and pulling himself up into the tree tops as his subordinates looked on. He leaped to another set of branches until he came to what he had spotted. A broken branch. Kazuga sniffed the tree. Floral scent. Flowers and steel. His gaze went to the collection of branches behind him.

There hanging from the set of foliage was a single golden strand. He might have missed it had the wind not picked up at that moment, and had he not been looking for it. The Iwa commander plucked the flittering strand in the breeze. It was long, and well kept. Perspiration clung to it. The smell of fear. A woman. Long golden hair. Konoha woman. Yamanaka. Ah, it all made sense now. He would find the little bitch and end this all now. Rain began to drop from the sky and he grinned malevolently as he dropped to the ground below. Rain gathered below him as it picked up in full force, pelting his subordinates.

Water seeped down from the heavens, drenching him head to toe. One of his subordinates was about to mutter something but the other stopped him from interfering, merely pointed. Itarashi Kazuga reveled in the feel of the water soaking him. It poured, trailing from his hands as he summoned his chakra. The heat and humidity caused the water to swirl up into the air around him, some of it becoming mist, but each of the tiny droplets infused with a bit of his chakra., discolored. With a nod to the water, as if it could respond, he sent it off, a master's beckon to it's servant.

Rain should have thrown off the scent and for the unfortunates who came sniffing for her remains, it would. His leering grin was malevolent. In his case, however, it only made her that much easier to find thanks to his paternity. His father had been a shark man of the hidden mist village, his mother, an unfortunate villager bordering Iwa. After the incident that had left her village in shambles, and his mother with child, she had retreated to the capitol of Iwagakure. He had been born, and as such was placed in the ranks of the ninja to allow his mother's residency.

Bearing the abilities of his father had helped him advance in the ranks giving him an edge over his other peers who had tormented him due to his unsightly appearance. Because of his abilities, they had not lived long enough to cherish it. Her trail was clear through the pulses of water. He felt the gill slits on his neck open, his own chakra pulsing with a humming buzz in his veins as he waited for results with gleaming exultation. He felt the buzz grow higher, more frequent.

…...

The rain was cold and the tree trunk offered little protection against the foul weather. Ino's feet were damp stuck in muddy water up to the ankles, soaked where the roots were sucking in the moisture. Offhandedly, the young woman glanced at the muck that had mired down her movement. If they got anywhere within her vicinity, there was nothing-short of a torrential water jutsu-that could hide where she had walked.

Droplets dripped down the hollowed out trunk the dying tree doing little to shelter her from the elements, causing her to shiver. She clenched her jaw tight to avoid her teeth chattering, but she could not stay here for much longer. But they were too close to her position. Leaving now was tantamount to giving herself away. Ino was between a rock and a hard place. What would Shika do if he were here?

_Shikamaru left you_, her conscience hissed, taunting her unkindly.

That wasn't fair. She had ordered him to go. She had told him she would be alright. She said she would see him later.

_And he left. _

But he had believed her.

The day, that had started out so honestly had deteriorated into smoke and rain, mud and silence. She needed a _diversion._It always came down to that, Ino thought darkly. She had been the diversion, initially. But she had said she would see him again. She wouldn't lie.

And so she needed to get out of the corner that she had backed herself into. _Shikamaru sure as hell wouldn't have done this _she thought. What previously, had seemed to be a safe haven of shelter was turning out to be a cage. She hoped it wouldn't be a tomb. Leaning heavily into the rough bark of the hollow she had secreted herself away into, Ino's hands formed signs. There was no hesitation . There was no waiting.

Incredibly, blue eyes peered intently through the brush before the last sign had been created. Where was it-there! Her gaze settled on a enemy shinobi who was properly positioned, on the edges of the contingent but not too far forward or behind. It wasn't even a heartbeat later that her consciousness settled into his mind overwhelming his defenses and shutting down the opposition. His body was hers for the taking.

And unlike hers, Ino thought viciously, suppressing a dark expression of humor, his was expendable. Well, so long as she wasn't in it at the time.

Ino clenched her fists in the new body she'd inhabited. Not bad, this one was in prime condition. It would have to do. Her mind flipped through memories digging for jutsu this body was aware of. Thank Kami sama for muscle memory. She made her way through the brush, heading towards the group, as she heard the commands through the paper seal jutsu on this body. That was handy. She would have to remember it, if she made it out of here alive.

Taller than even the men in her family, Ino looked at the commanding officer. He had bright coppery red hair, the kind that made Forehead's look pale in comparison and made him a moving target for anyone availble. The kind of people who had this kind of hair were either fools or dangerous in their profession and Ino's guard tripled as she fought for composure. His pale skin was almost gray, and translucent looking in the rain. Frost eyes darkened perceptively as he took in the body she'd inhabited's appearance and Ino felt her stomach drop.

"Taishou." Ino said with a nod. She was an anbu level spy, and she had everything she needed to access within this man's mind. She could do this. "I've scouted the area. There's still no sign." She moved the man's lips like a mouthpiece.

Kazuga's eyes were piercing in their intensity. They studied her with a great deal of interest. Based on the apprehension of the men around him, Ino stepped back from that look. Then he turned from her, gaze fixed on the men around him.

"We've wasted enough time. However, I've been able to discover a few clues as to our mystery nin." Kazuga said eyes darkening in malicious delight.

"She's from Konoha for certain." Kazuga started, and Ino knew with chilling certainty that she was trapped. Breathe caught hard in her ribcage as she fought against visible signs of panic. Maybe he was fishing, digging for information. She wasn't that careless.

"Only they care enough about the refuse of societies to do something foolish like this." He said, savoring the words as his gaze fell on each of them.

"How do you know it's a woman?" One of the men asked.

"Found a piece of her hair. Only a woman has hair that well kept. Smelt like flowers." Kazuga replied with a sharp grin.

"It's likely that she has access to people's minds. Inhabit their bodies, leaving her own, vulnerable…" Kazuga paused fixing those frost colored eyes directly on the person she was inhabiting, making Ino's stomach drop. "She's a Yamanaka." Kazuga said lightly, as if testing the words. Ino felt the bile creep up her throat.

He knows. _He knows_. She had walked straight into a trap.

Periwinkle eyes widened in sheer horror as she felt_ it_ before dispelling. The feel of the wind, whittling back from his blow, as cold sharp steel bit into her throat from his jagged sword before she could register it properly. Only pure instinct had spared her, for the one weakness of the shintenshin no jutsu was making sure you got out in time. She was forced to watch the shinobi from her own body, disoriented and dazed as she fought for her own semblance of identity. She grabbed her own throat for the comfort of knowing it was still there and not a mess like the man she had previously inhabited.

A spray of blood mingled with rain drops and mist, soaking into the already drenched earth. The coppery red blended with the mud, staining the ground, marking it as she tried to make sense of the madness in front of her. He had beheaded his own man. The decapitated skull rolled, dragging through the mud, until it stopped. The headless corpse moved, convulsing and twitching in it's death. Ino tried, desperately, to contain her own sharp inhalation of shock, but the vacant, sightless blue eyes of the man staring into her own was too terrifying.

She had been seconds from sharing his fate.

Those eyes were like hers. But the light had left them, the soul gone. Lifting her gaze back to the man who had perpetrated such an act, she saw his eyes dart in her direction, settling directly upon her.

"Gotcha"

He was smiling, smiling _widely._ His teeth were pointed, sharpened into a feral expression that was nothing short of predatory-and she tried, desperately, not to panic as he walked straight towards her hiding spot. She might as well have waved, as useful as her cover was being. Lurching up to steady her feet, Ino scrambled up the tree as he summoned his chakra. She exploded out of the hollow-and, she saw them before she felt them, unable to dodge. Senbon, the sharp pin-pricks up her arm, as she left for the cover of the trees murming a curse of fury. Foolish, she was a fool to have thought her spot would keep her safe for so long.

Versed with enough medical knowledge to understand instantly what had happened, Ino tried to rationalize what she was feeling. Poisoned. Damn it. She could feel the alarming spasms of pain, as the toxins sank in, nerve endings numbing as the sensation passed through her arm. She had to stop the spread. Summoning her chakra she forced it through her veins, cutting off the poison, isolating it within a chakra sphere. Shit. Ino was no Sakura. She did not have the medical jutsu, the time, or even the control to leech the poison through the surface of her skin. The best plan left to her was to isolate the area by barring it off with chakra-but holding the poison would cost her. There was only so long that she could manage to maintain such a thing before her reserves were tapped out, the specific control more taxing.

She pulled them out, decision made, launching the bloody senbon at the men, as they dodged. Neither they, nor Ino were prepared, however for the shark man to turn on them. Chomping into the jugular vein of one, he ripped open the neck and shoulder, blood gushing as the man screamed. He attacked quickly, quelling their blood curdling cries through his own blood lust. What. The. Hell. Ino stared in mute horror, frozen as he laid waste to the four around the area, their screams haunting, as he gorged. Ino turned, loosing what was left of her breakfast, pulling her out of her shock. She coughed, wiped the muck off her lips, the rain washing away the taste. Eyes now the color of steel narrowed.

"How could you—! They were under your command! They _trusted_ you" Ino demanded, hand on her katana.

"They were expendable," He droned coldly, eyes gleaming in what seemed to be insanity, spurred by the stench of blood that settled over them all. "It was unforgivable. They had not found you-they did not _see_ what was right before them."

"You want to see what's before you? I'll gladly _show_ you." Ino replied in turn sword drawn.

…...

The sharp edge of the kana in his hand was familiar, and comfortable in its familiarity. The weight, the balance, it was known to him. Hyuuga Neji appreciated such things. The seasons were predictable. The patterns of the weather could be understood. His weaponry, he knew down to the very grain of the metal.

And he knew that he loved Yamanaka Ino.

It was not some grand moment of revelation, Neji reflected, drawing the stone over the edge of the blade to sharpen it. It had not happened instantly. It was certainly not love at first sight. It was not in him to partake in such frivolous things.

Instead, there were years of memories behind it. Inch by inch, the girl who had become the young woman, was revealed to him. Day by day, there was something new about her. Just as the light preceded the sun at dawn, chasing away the black until grey twilight lingered, and then finally banished by the first sliver of light as it edged over the horizon, Neji saw more of her. Learned more about her.

And, he privately admitted, loved her just a little bit more.

Ino was beautiful, no one could deny that. She laughed freely, which was an unusual commodity for a shinobi. Her eyes gleamed, and her skin was oddly flawless for one of their profession, and of her rank. But those were not the things that Neji had fallen in love with.

The first time that he had truly paid attention to her, she had been tending a pink haired friend, in the disastrous chuunin exams. Her strength of character had surprised him-instead of Nara being the leader of the team, strategic genius as he was known to be, it was the Yamanaka who held them all together. Shikamaru might have been their brains, but Ino had always been their heart.

Meditatively, Neji drew out another kunai, lost in the task of maintaining his weaponry. He had done this for so long. Tended his equipment, and drowned himself in the sensory memory of the woman he had learned he loved.

While he had known of her, even spoken with her infrequently, the blonde woman had only commanded his respect, never his affections. At least, that's what Neji himself had believed for the longest time. Perhaps it had been there from the very beginning.

When was it, that he had first known? Perhaps it had been that first mission, Neji reminisced, his hand stilling. Staring at his own reflection in the metal, there was something about the silver'd mirror of the blade that brought him back to something that had happened years ago. He had been an Anbu captain for some months-not new, per se, but still the newest in the ranks. And she had just been promoted. It was her first mission. The team was a good one. Neji knew he was a competent commander and the other two shinobi were older, well seasoned. It was a normal tactic to use when introducing a new member to the ranks. With the likelihood of death being so high, it was all that one could do to try to keep the death count down.

Charged with the unusually stern order to keep her alive by the Hokage, Neji had observed the woman through the slitted mask, throughout the mission. She was inexperienced, it was true-but there was something about her that couldn't be denied. It was in her way of moving, in her eyes, in her voice as she spoke and her hands as she moved. There was joy in her, and nothing had managed to tear it away from her. It was something worth protecting, he realized. It was something worth preserving. Even though Yamanaka was not in need of protecting, he would do so nevertheless.

It was only after the mission had been completed-with surprising ease, even Neji was moderately taken aback by Ino's proficiency and lack of need for guidance-that they had stopped to breathe. Well within the Land of Fire's borders, he had taken stock of his squad, and found them moderately fatigued. Raising his hand to signal for the halt, he glanced at the three shinobi who had  
>gathered around him.<p>

"We'll stop here," Neji recalled that he had said. "Eat. Drink. We move again in thirty." There was a certain sternness to Neji-the-Captain that had never belonged to Neji-the-boy. The weight of responsibility had worn well on his shoulders-at least, that's what Ino had said as she pushed her mask up, periwinkle eyes dancing at him.

Dropping from the trees, she had landed on the hard, dehydrated ground in a small puff of dust. Glancing back up, she waved to Neji playfully, before she moved the dozen yards or so required to reach the small spring that rambunctiously traversed through the trees. In a moment of clarity, Neji realized-water could laugh, too. It was echoed in her eyes, in her wave. There was something strangely familiar in the laughing brook, and he found its partner in Ino.

Intrigued by the prospect, he leaned against the trunk of the tree, still secure atop the branch he had stopped upon, observing his blonde teammate, and charge. She sat on the dry ground, unlacing her standard-issue sandals. Blinking slowly, he observed her as she let her feet rest in the water, reclining back to rest on her hands. Her supine form was the expression of unconscious grace-but it was not so very different from watching her fight, Neji recalled contemplatively. She was a far cry from that girl he had first seen, all those years ago.

It was in the moment between the heartbeat and the breath, that Neji realized-he would have protected her, even had the Hokage-sama not charged him with that task. There was more to her than her laughter and her grace. There was something about Ino, he decided, that was nothing short of life-and he would protect her, even when she did not need it-if only, because it was something worth protecting.

She was joy.

…...

Inuzuka Kiba was no light weight. He had earned his place on team eight and as an anbu tracking team because of his clan's unique abilities and his own damned efforts. Among them was the beast man's prided sense of smell. Kiba's nose twitched, picking up the subtle soap Hinata had used across the surface of her skin, the lavendar shampoo that had washed her long hair. Cross with himself for the distinction and specificity of his attention on the girl, he refocused his senses on something else. And he smelt and nearly tasted the tangible tang of copper. Kiba's brown eyes shot open, wide, but the scent was unmistakable as he took another sniff. Blood. Copious amounts of blood, spilt in the distance, not too far from their current location. Akamaru sensing his partner's discontent, rose to his feet, nose sniffing in the air for himself. He gave an undiscernable whine.

"Whatever it is buddy, it's not good." Kiba replied, grabbing his gear, and forcing himself into a light jog as he searched for their captain.

Akamaru followed with a whuff of understanding.

It didn't take long to find him, nose first in his icha icha books. Kiba wrinkled his nose at it, at the demeanor the man took at such a serious mission.

"Are you even ready?" Kiba asked him, incredulous at his temporary captain's near flippant behavior instead of the pensive mien that he ought to have taken on.

Kakashi fixed his gaze on the younger Inuzuka, staring him down coolly. "Do you have information for me?"

"Blood's been spilt atleast a mile out.." Kiba told him hastily. Mentally quailing in the face of the older man's intensity, he made a note to never _ever_assume that the copy-nin was slacking...

"Hers?" Kakashi's tone was all seriousness, the book gone, his own weapons in hand, on his feet. Every aspect of lightheartedness had fled, as his eye steeled in determination.

"Can't distinguish. The rain and mud is dampening the scent." Kiba replied.

"Does he know?" Kakashi asked him clear on who he had been referring to as his eye travelled to the place Neji had vanished off to.

"Not yet" Kiba replied. "Good. Keep it that way" Kakashi told him. "Round everyone up. We leave immediately." He ordered.

Kiba stared at the back of the man in shock. What angle was the old man playing at, anyways?

Was he _trying_ to get them all killed by friendly fire? He went to do as he was told, Shino and Hinata already prepared.

It was to no avail, though, Kakashi thought as he felt Kiba's burning gaze fall between his shoulders. There was no way to keep this from Neji. Looking down at Pakkun, the small dog nodded sharply, confirming everything that Kiba had said.

"It isn't hers," the dog murmured lowly. How irritating it would have been for Kiba to realize that Kakashi's senses, and those of his ninja-dogs, were not only as good, but superior to a clan's renowned for their noses? Briefly, he ran his hand through his ruffled hair-kids. They were still kids.

Or, most of them were. Ignoring Kiba at his back, Kakashi's dark eye fell on the figure that stood at eye level with him. When that had happened, he couldn't have said, he mused absentmindedly. More importantly, though, was the barely leashed anger that Neji was nearly vibrating with. The temper that had threatened to consume him earlier had been restrained, but the energy had flooded the Anbu captain.

Kunai in hand, Neji had met his gaze levelly, not trying to hide the fact that he was on the far side of infuriated with the copy-nin.

"We're leaving," he informed Kakashi shortly, and the older man was left watching Neji's back as the dark haired man strode away.

Some of them were kids, he thought, remaining still for a long moment more. But some of them weren't. It was the inevitable conclusion he came to, as he watched the Hyuuga still, the lines of tension easing from his body as the young man consciously worked to restrain his temper.

Slowly, the kunai that he had been sharpening was replaced in the pouch, the movement, deliberate. Watching Neji straighten, Kakashi shifted to turn back to see Kiba, gaping at both of them.

Somehow, even though he couldn't have said when it happened, it seemed that Neji had, at long last, grown into himself. He found what Naruto had always had. Something to protect.

Her scent memorized, all that was left to do was to find her. It was then that the wind picked up and he could taste it. Copper tang in his nostrils, Kakashi shifted his hitai ate revealing the Sharingan. He didn't need it though to smell it, to know what had happened; her blood, freshly spilt in the air.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Co written by Thirdtimecharm who is excellent, has a ridiculously talented way with words and keeps me from writers block and major suckage in my stories. She wrote crucial parts to this and really had the idea. Major praise and Glory goes to her, and if you love this story tell her so immediately. This is not the last chapter by any stretch of the means so don't fret.

Music of the Update: "Breathe" and "Anthem of Angels" by Breaking Benjamin, "The Calling" by 7 days away, "Awake and Alive" by Skillet.

Ino's steel blue eyes were more serene and serious than they had ever been in her life as she rushed to face the crazed shark man. Admittedly, the young woman was not particularly known for her sober countenance-but there was something else that she had shown in the past seconds-minutes, hours. It might have been called maturity. The determination she displayed, the competency that she drew upon bespoke of years of practise...but it was more than that. Somehow, it seemed that Yamanaka Ino had, at last, found something to stand her heart against-to measure herself up to, and refused to find herself, wanting. Even if she lost this fight, Ino thought, gritting her teeth, it would not be done in vain.

Her adrenaline spiked, shortening her life span, her heart racing as it hammered in her chest painfully. But there was no one there to know that. Chouji and Shika had left, saved the children, and reached the border by now. With little hope of reinforcement, Ino was alone, abandoned by her own doing. Steel blue looked upon the creature towering over her, blood dripping down his chin and neck onto hardened muscle. And Ino felt the cold stab of fear penetrate. She was fighting a man who was physically stronger than her and had already poisoned her. It was raining, practically flooding the area and somehow that was fitting.

Taking a sharp whittling breathe she summoned her strength, her courage and found it lacking. Had she overextended herself, gone too far? No. No she still had her tenacity to draw upon. And she refused to let it end like this, refused to be a coward in the face of her actions. She would own her fate, regardless of the rain splattered upon the ground, droplets forming puddles quickly and this forced a grin to her face banishing the melancholy away. Ino had always like the water. Everyone around her always said that it reminded them of her-her unstoppable nature, unswayable in its course. But, there was something else, for her. For Ino... the surface, gleaming silver, reminded her of his eyes.. A strange thought. A comforting memory.

Urgency, driven by memory and a brief, irrepressible pull of unconquerable _longing_, tugged her heartstrings. She was running out of options and running low on chakra and time. There was no other way. Once again she would have to fight her way through. Ino felt the swift remorse, and the ache of home, her team, and anyone, anything that would make this madness stop. She was already so burdened. Perhaps even then, the girl thought, she was already lost.

But steel grey hardened, honed with the inner blue light of fire country. This wasn't like her. Ino didn't quit when things got hard. She might have complained and bitched about it till next week, mourned the chipped nails or frayed hair or damaged clothes, but she didn't shy away from a challenge, and she wasn't about to lay down and bend her neck for this crazy bastard. If he wanted to win, he would pay the price in his own pound of flesh for Yamanaka Ino gave as good as she got.

The slide of her sword against her sheath resonated the will deep within her soul, woke her up, galvanized the strength buried within her heart. Blade raised in declaration, using shushin, she dodged the volley of senbon he threw, dodging and weaving between the trees that grew denser together as the fog rose, overtaking the area as she drew closer. She released her own kunai, grazing his shoulder as she heard the thunks in the tree trunk, sparing her his reposte of ammunition as he cursed in pain.

The rain was pouring now, cold and hard pounding on her back like the hand of death, tapping her shoulder as she took a rattled breath. Death was dancing with them-but it had not decided whom to partner on this turn. It was only then that she felt the wire at her feet. Throwing herself forward, she moved in time, avoiding impaling herself on a steel strung webbed trap. When the hell had he created that? Ino scowled crossly, irritated by what appeared to be her own negligence. He was skilled at using his time, she thought-but she was better at the art of surprise.

"Still alive? Pity. How's that wire feel? Bet it feels reeeal good." He taunted.

Cerulean eyes narrowed. It was time to end this long distance spar and bring the fight closer to home. She had worked long and hard to become a close combat fighter. She would show this bastard what she could do. Ino gained ground steadily through the trees and brush as she drew close enough to strike. Her sword was parried by his recurved dagger. Arms straining, Ino snarled, bearing down on him with the cry of a harpy. If he thought she was going to lay down and die, he had another thing coming. Hell had no fury like an angry Yamanaka.

Frost eyes widened at the killing intent coming off of the smaller woman, and just how hard it was to keep her from cleaving him in two. She, a girl half his size. He gnashed his teeth at her, a feral sound resounding through the humid air. He exerted his muscles, spasming in recoil, as he forced her back. A snarl ripped from the bottom of his throat, echoing in the rainfall. He was seeing red, the animal in him rising, feeling the rage come to life. Ino hit the ground with a squish, sliding in the muck but never loosing her balance, footwork falling back into place as her eyes never left his.

Suddenly the battle slowed, paused in recant, as the they really took in the other. Steel blue, no remorse and full of fury met his frost blue eyes. She would kill him, would never let him leave this forest alive. He couldn't help as he looked at her. She was a mere slip of a girl, barely a woman. What would make someone like her do this? What was driving her? Certainly maternal instinct was strong when children were involved, but this seemed less about maternity and more about possesion. Then he understood it. She was a worthless leaf nin after all. Protecting what she thought was hers. Pathetic.

And yet-the man wondered, pausing. It was a brief cessation of motion, but tangible for ninja of their caliber. There was something more to this pretty little leaf, Kazuga thought. But then, he discarded the notion. They were transparent at best. Still, though, the man couldn't entirely suppress the sensation, the chill, that someone, somewhere, was walking over his grave. He felt the irrepressible feeling, the instinctive shudder trailing down his spine. This fight-it was harder than he had anticipated and she had drawn in out. Had forced him to chase, had given him cause for concern.

Still, it would be of little consequence to dispatch the girl now, before returning to report the consequences of this battle to his superiors. His subordinates deaths could be easily accredited to the girl without shame, after all she had taken out a considerable number of their task force already.

She could see it in his stance. He thought she was a joke, a lie. This was no longer about two countries, two warring factions, or even the endangerment of the children and her team. It became apparent in his demeanor, the way those frost eyes mocked her. He threatened what she stood for; two opposite sides of the coin. They circled each other, the muck spreading, and the very air shifted and changed. This was no longer static; between two ninja. This was between were two top predators; animals that would fight to the death, killing their unfortunate victim in the most painful way possible. Suddenly Kazuga broke the lull, and lunged. Ino was stuck defending and parrying blows meant to end her, as they gained in speed and strength. She struggled to keep him at bay.

The sharp tang of the sword gave her the initiative, stoked the fire deep within and she drew upon the speed she had honed in her time and training. Arms moved of their own accord, muscle memory taking over as Ino allowed herself to feel the moves, rather than micro manage them. She knew the strength and the weaknesses of the mind more than anyone but most of all, she knew the strength of her body. She had trained, tortured her body over fatiguing hours to do what it did now with natural ease. Kick his ass.

She found her strike and launched high, sword aiming to force him to raise his in defense, and she quickly changed directions, slashing into his flank, cutting and boring into his defenses before he could stop her. She managed a decent slice into his ribs before he parried with a grunt of pain. She landed a kick to a leg that looked like it hurt, an old battle wound. The clash of steel was sharp and hard, and she redirected his blow, but was not prepared for his follow through. His fist connected with her face, breaking the cheekbone instantly. But Ino had cut her teeth on dirty fighters in her chuunin days. Not missing a beat, she flowed into a leap, going right over his head as she landed, turning on her ankle to attack again low. He had barely blocked that blow, and the look on his face told her he'd strained that leg again to make it happen. Her lips quirked into a smug chesire grin as she tumbled to avoid being sliced apart.

Kazuga rose to the offense and Ino was forced to defend as his speed ascended. Her arms jarred from the powerhoused hits and she couldn't help but admire his technique. He was a boxer by trade using those powerhouse swings to tear his opponents to pieces, focusing the power of those arms into weapons. This was where she was at a disadvantage. She couldn't keep taking these harsh beatings; he wanted to tire her out, make her careless. She dodged the dagger he'd pulled nimbly, and ducked before his other hand, filled with senbon could rake her skin. With keen insight and lightning reflexes she saw her opening, a shallow slice on his abdomen to match the other, before rolling to the side.

He clutched his abdomen, his blood staining his fingers as his eyes narrowed. Quicker than he ever could have anticipated, she was on her feet, scurrying up the trees, like some goddamn forest squirrel moving diagonally from tree trunk to tree trunk with foot and handle holds of chakra. She sheathed her sword and she pulled out other items from her pouch. She was _running_. She was running! Kazuga roared, his prey escaping from him, fueling his ego and rage. He stormed after her, ripping entire branches off in his fury as he fell further into madness.

Ino was calculating and ungodly fast because she had to be. His berserker rage had to be taxing. If she could wear him down, or make him angrier, he would get careless. Right now she needed to buy herself some more time. She leaped from the tree, latching onto a smaller weaker tree, he flew after her. Ino summoned her chakra, taking a leap, and turned mid air, launching a compact flare of chakra directly into his eyes. She'd done it too quickly for him to dodge, landing onto another tree before he could change trajectories. His eyesight shot to pieces at the flash of light, he couldn't avoid the smaller suppler tree as it smashed into his face, hurtling him into the trunk of the tree, behind her. He caught himself barely on a limb before a nasty fall, but that must have cost him a broken rib or two and had broken his nose, blood smeared across his face.

She leaped into an older tree, making her way to the very top. Maybe, just maybe if she used the last of her supplies, help might arive in time. Kazuga roared his fury, clawing his way after her, slower but his efforts shaking the entire tree. The balance was the weakest at the top but Ino had always been graceful. She braced herself on a branch and as he got closer. She leapt outwards, fell arms outstretched in a dive from the top of the pines, as the explosion rocked the forest using up the last of her supplies. That ought to slow him down, she thought, turning mid air. Out of the flames he leaped, hurtling towards her, his roar of rage haunting. He was burned, bits of his skin oozing and bleeding, covered with miscellanious cuts and abrasions, but those frost eyes were out for blood. Her blood.

He dived, head first, straightening his body to catch up. With his heavier mass he hurtled towards her, like a harpoon, connected, and hit her hard, knocking the breathe from her lungs. She slammed her back into the nearest oncoming tree. Ino couldn't breathe, couldn't move, as she was lodged into the trunk frozen. She was lucky he hadn't impaled her on a branch, but she was lacking the ability to be grateful in the moment. He richoeted from her and fell, spiraling wildly as he fought for a branch. The entire plane shifted and Ino realized too late that he'd hit her so hard, that the tree itself was falling. It slammed into the ground, bouncing from impact and she was flung from it violently smeared into the mud. She should be grateful, she supposed; the mud had broken her fall and not the tree trunk smashing her to bloody pieces.

But Ino couldn't focus on that as she groaned, fighting for her life. Badly bruised, stunned, covered in mud, her arm was broken at the very least as she accounted the sticky blood mingling with the mud there. She could only hear his menacing laughter, mocking her from nearby as he lit to the ground. She couldn't hold fast against the poison any longer, she needed her chakra to finish him off and in order to do that she had to heal herself first to get up. Chakra lit, igniting as it glowed around her arm. She felt the poison creep through her blood stream, and that itself, woke her up from her shock. Ino rose shakily to her feet, face cut up and bloodied from splinters, her arm freely bleeding, her face stained with mud. She couldn't help but smile though it was painful. The rain, that silvered water, that gleaming reflection, it washed away the filth, forcing it to slide in the rain washing her clean. Reviving her. Reminding her.

Blue eyes shone all the brighter as she wiped the muck from her face.

"Little girl you were in the wrong place at the wrong time." Kazuga's mouth was still bloodied, eyes glazed with madness. "And now you're gonna _die_"

Ino merely smirked, those cerulean eyes darkening perceptively as she took up a defensive stance. The trees grew closer together in this particular area and Kazuga did not try another close encounter, instead, he pulled out kunai. Fool, hoping distance would keep her from tiring him was a telling sign. Ino released her own kunai, changing the direction of his, and using the dense trunks to fend off the others. They were still moving, she dodged and tumbled, evading. His arsenal was commendable, he was good with varied weapons, as one grazed her arm. Unpoisoned at this point. He must be counting on the toxins already in her system. Ino's chakra was draining. She used the kunai in the trunk to propel herself up into the tree tops again.

"Stupid girl. I'm done with this game of cat and mouse" Summoning his chakra, she felt the air around her move.

Shit. He was sucking the rain water into one massive globe, using his chakra to keep it in a central location. She increased her pace, up the tree, as he released the water. The tide spun, defying gravity as it came at her, Ino had almost reached the top of the forest before the tidal wave turned, gravity defying and slammed into her, sending her hurtling to the ground below. More water beneath her spared her from becoming a splat, if one could call it a stroke of mercy. Her back stung the bruising from the tree trunk painful, ached fiercly as the fall to the water left her stunned. She found herself unable to breathe again, the wind knocked from her as the water swept through the dense forest surrouding her.

He would drown her, she realized, screaming in desperate need of oxygen through the cold, her body protesting her paralysis. She summoned her own chakra, and used her only trump card, the shintenshin no jutsu. Her body dropped further in the muddy water, as she entered his, releasing the jutsu. Her body and the massive amount of water rushed over the already damp forest, taking her body safely out of the way, before Kazuga's mind forced her out.

The intention had never been to keep control of him, merely break the jutsu. Part of the power of the Yamanaka clan's jutsu was having the art of surprise, of someone not anticipating their particular birthright. If a ninja knew what was coming he could prepare his mind, summon his defenses-demolishing Ino's efficiency.

Returning to her own body, she cried out in the midst of the massive flowing river, coughing out muddy water as she rose to the murky surface. Life had never felt so good, tasted so sweet as she choked. Air had never cut so harshly in her lungs, been so _vibrant._The flood had worked against him, taking her farther and faster away from him than she had ever anticipated. She might make it to the river, but it would not save her. If he was a water user, it would be her grave and give him a signifcant advantage. She had read the situation wrong, had not anticipated him being part shark man. Her plans had backfired horribly and now she would probably die for it. Shikamaru would have been disappointed if he were here, Chouji looking at her with that wide eyed look of fear.

Ino's eyes darkened. If there was one thing she hated, it was being wrong. The young woman latched onto a branch, expending what chakra she had left to heal the significant bruising. Being a tad slow with a man like Kazuga would kill her, if she wasn't already close to it from the poison. She would have to sacrifice her chakra for her speed. It was her only hope.

Trembling, she realized he'd split his chakra up, shadow clones surrounding her, each with an imbued sense of his chakra. Shit. She'd made a geinin's mistake of loosing track of her enemy. Cerulean eyes darted left and that was when he struck, completely unexpected, the rest of the clones disappearing with his blow.

Steel blue widened as she felt his blade lacerate down her back, biting into her flesh and tearing. Blood spraying, she fell to her knees in a gasp. The slice was fairly shallow, not fatal, but jagged. The dagger was made for pain and impact, the point and purpose of such a weapon. She had lost quite a bit of skin and blood from that blow, her muscles exposed, some torn, and judging by the blade it would probably get infected, a complicated healing. His message was short and clear. He would not make this quick and easy for her.

"Little bitch. Get on your feet so I can cut you down again." Kazuga told her. Ino did not look up though her fist clenched.

Kazuga kicked her before she could dodge it, booted foot sending her flying through the mud. She tumbled hard, slamming into the tree trunk painfully. Her ribs impacted, an audible crack heard through out the forest as those cerulean eyes closed.

She could register his presence. He waited for her to rise. He wanted the fight, wanted to beat her to death. Ino felt the blood, dribbling down her head from the kick, her head spinning as she fought for equilibirum as she opened her eyes. Every wound was a throb, an ache of acute affliction. Even the raindrops sounded like a thousand taiko drummers to her ears, and her head pulsed, her entire body felt like an earthquake, tremors passing through her from the cold and her wounds. Home. It hit her like the blow to the tree trunk.

This was it, the finale. She would never reach it. The pain forced her eyes closed again. All she wanted to do was curl up and die. But she had promised. She had given her word. And even though it hurt like _hell_, every breathe sharp and poignant as kunai's grazing her lungs, she would not let this maniacal son of a bitch live to hurt another child, to attack another one of her precious nakama. Blinking those steel blue eyes stayed open, rain dripping down her face. She would end it here and now, even if it meant she had to die to do it. She could accept that.

Ino felt for the tree. Her sight out of her left eye was bleary, possibly permanently damaged. He wasn't attacking her because he wanted her to try and get him. He wanted to draw this out as long as he could, because he was overconfident with his advantage. She would have to be ungodly fast. Her sword was strapped to her back, a back reach, from her position would be possible, if she could turn, but she would have to end, standing on her feet to manage it. Did she have any strength left? She choked, gasping as she coughed. His mocking laughter told her she didn't have long in his repreive before he was coming for her. Glancing at him out of her bloodstained hair, she saw him reach for his dagger. This was her moment, as if it had been given from the gods themselves. Her limbs moved of their own accord, moving flawlessly as she had her sword in her hands before he could react, turning, using the tree for balance, she threw it straight and true.

Kazuga might have been able to block, had he decided not an instant too late, to throw his own recurved dagger at her. Instead Itarashi Kazuga was pierced through the heart by her kodachi, trying to dodge as he released the recurved dagger into the air towards her. She had predicted he would dodge, and predicted where he would dodge accurately. Choking with a glug, eyes still wide in the disbelief that he had somehow lost, he felt the sword pierce him through. He fell, twitching as his blood poured out of his body, to fall limp and lifeless in the mud disbelief still plastered in those frost eyes, finally glazing over in the sweet release of death.

It was a quick death-and one that he probably didn't deserve. The demon was laid to rest.

He wouldn't hurt anyone, ever again.

The recurved dagger flew straight and true on it's deadly course. Periwinkle blue eyes, dimmed and widened at the weapon - longer than a standard kunai, more on par with a short sword - her hand flying to her pouch to try for a kunai. But it was too late. Ino simply didn't have the time to manuever away, to dodge even had she wanted to. The move that had succeeded in killing him, also doomed her, committing her to face his reposte. That last, desperate move had taken all of her strength, sapped it as her hands fumbled on the pouch. She felt the sharp bite of steel pierce her skin, rip through layers of armor, clothing, skin, into muscle tendon, and grate against bone, burrowing itself harshly beneath her ribs. Crying out in pain, the strength of the throw threw her back, pinning her to the very tree she had used for leverage.

One moment, a savior-the next, a headstone.

She felt the blood dribble down her chin as she gasped, coughing bits of blood and phlegm. Every pain and ache was on fire, searing as she squirmed cutting herself further in desperation, trying to remove it. Shock began to set in, numbing the pain, and had she not known she was injured, it might not have mattered. Her hands managed to wrap around the dagger, crying out in frustration, but her own blood was straining them, making her grip slippery as she fumbled. Her hands slipped off the dagger, falling to her sides and she shook, convulsed. Ino couldn't pull the dagger out, didn't even have enough strength left in her to reach her arms up again, though she tried. Mind over matter, mind over body, move...she bid, pleaded as she drew a shuddering breathe. Her lungs whittled, the air so dense as the fog seemed to thicken.

Struggle as she might, she could not save herself. Her gasps of pain were drawing shorter as her vision spun, panic and agony giving way to fatigue. So this was it. She had won, but at the cost of her own life.

It seemed so insignificant now and that pissed her off as she twitched, muscles spasming uncontrollably in irrepressible pain. She wished she had lived long enough to have a family, her own children. She wished she had done more with her life. She wished she'd been skinnier.

But in the same sharp breath she couldn't regret saving those children, saving Shika and Chouji. She couldn't regret making anbu.

She wouldn't regret the choices that brought her here.

And from there, Ino could see the river from where she was pinned, that glassy look upon it smoother now as the rain lessened to die entirely as she soon would. The surface was a silver mirror, swirling depths showing her the truth of her life.

It was funny, an odd passing thought as her vision faded. She saw the color of pearlescent grey, her vision blurring, spinning as she felt something akin to vertigo. The color was like Neji's eyes. A funny thought when she was about to die. She hung lay there, limp her world fading away.

A comforting thought.

It all made so much more sense, now. Perhaps clarity came in the mirror of self reflection-and if Ino would regret one thing, it would be that she did not realize it sooner. Dying (if indeed, this was what dying felt like) was…nothing. Each labored breath was requiring more and more effort to manufacture. Each time her eyes shut to blink, it took longer to open them again after.

Death was painless.

Oh, certainly, the act of getting there was…unpleasant.

Strewn about her own slumped form were the figures of the deceased. One had been burned beyond recognition. It seemed that of the five that had been dogging Team Ten's heels for the duration of their mission, none had survived.

But the cost was high.

Pinned to the rough bark of a tree, Ino could not help but be _glad._The sandpaper sensation of wood rubbing against the bared skin of her lower back with every breath she took, reminded her of home.

Glazed eyes, staring up desperately for a break in the canopy, could catch glimpses of clouds silhouetted against the boundless azure of the sky.

It felt like _home._

And somewhere, there would be a boy-no. No, he wasn't a boy any longer.. Somewhere, _Shikamaru_ would be reclining in the grass. Perhaps he was looking at these selfsame clouds.

How funny, Ino thought, that only _now_ would she realize that…She loved him. Oh, not _that _kind of love. He was the brother she never had. He was the one that she could nag at and whine to, and coerce into obeying all of her schemes.

She loved him, because he was family.

But nothing more.

And there never would be, Ino concluded as she fought back the enveloping desolation of loneliness.

There would never be a true love.

There would never be a family.

Or a home.

There would be no wedding, or an engagement to brag to Sakura about.

It ended here.

"I _chose_ this," Ino whispered quietly-defiantly. The words fell into the deadened silence of the former battle field, and while it brought no comfort to her weakening body, it eased the ache of her heart.

She had chosen, with honor. With grace and integrity, and with love-because only she could have done what she did, today.

None other.

There was nothing left to lament. There were no regrets. Her bright blue eyes slide down, her head lolled forward, blonde hair cascading down over her shoulders.

There would be no goodbyes.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: There's a poll up on my profile, please take it. Haven't heard from my coauthor for months, so I'm a little worried, but have decided to post the chapter anyways.

Music of the update: "Wheels" & "Hero" Acoustic by Foo Fighters "Impossible" by Manafest, "Circle" by Flyleaf

Tsunade sat, filling out her paperwork with a meticulous eye to detail, rain drops chimming off the top of the tower, as the clock ticked. She swallowed another sake dish worth of rice wine, the burn a welcome relish from her work. It was a first of many, when she had actually devoted her attention and efforts to the task of paperwork. She set the next file down, vowing again to keep her mind off of the rescue. Hazel eyes cheated, meandering, and wandered to the clock again without meaning to. One hour and fifty six minutes since they had left. A golden eyebrow twitched. Surely knowing the Hyuuga captain and Kakashi's own stake in this mission they would have reached her by now?

Tsunade shoved off such thoughts, irritated with herself for her concern. It was stupid of her. She knew better. She knew without a doubt the statistics on such a mission when she had sent them. The brat had been rubbing off on her lately, giving her pause to hope, inspite of the logic of the situation at hand. She knew better than that, had lived the failure of these missions, of her own skills. There was nothing she could do now, but sit and wait. Of all of her reign, as Godaime Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, Tsunade had not become better at biding her time for the outcome. She hated waiting. It was in the hands of the gods now.

"Shizune?" Tsunade called, an idea hitting her before she'd clearly thought it through. She could hear the girls footsteps outside the office of her door. The knock was brief, before she immediately walked in. Tsunade was humored by her less than subtle attempt at etiquette.

"Yes Tsunade sama?" Shizune replied as she petted Ton Ton who squirmed in her hold. She released the little piglet who ran at once to Tsunade, who petted him absent mindedly as she set her pen down.

"Get me the remnant of Team 7. The Brat, Sai and Sakura should be back from their mission right?" Tsunade asked.

"Hai Shishou." Shizune replied, grabbing a clipboard with the roster set. Shizune had made marvels of the organization in this office.

"Sakura is currently filling in for you at the hospital diagnosing the children and appointing tasks to the rest of the medics on shift for the moment. Naruto and Sai should have returned from their scouting mission to Rain this morning and from the check in. there was no injuries reported. Yamamoto is currently on a delegate mission to Sand and you know where Kakashi is." Shizune reported.

"Good. Summon Sakura, Sai and Naruto immediatly." Tsunade replied, returning to her paperwork. It was sometime later that she heard the knock on her door again, this time more insistent as Shizune barged in.

"Hokage sama-"Shizune began.

Tsunade read the look on her face, hazel eyes narrowing.

"They're not here" Tsunade finished for her, hands folded as she rested her chin on them, considering

Shizune could only nod, brow furrowing further as she expected something to go flying out the window in Tsunade's durress. "I checked with the anbu teams on duty. They were last seen heading east, Tsunade sama."

"Brats" She growled, though there was a hint of a smirk on her face. "Have the hospital staff ready."

Hope was catching, it seemed.

…...

Neji felt the shift in Kakashi's energy, the line of tension in his back as he significantly increased his speed. He could tell in the look from the hounds as they exchanged knowing glances. In Kiba's grim expression and Akamaru's uncurled sneer, teeth bared. In the terror, in Hinata's eyes and the knowing flicker, that recognition across Shino's glasses as the bond between team eight was thicker than blood, than words. Had Neji not had the Byakugan he might not have been able to read the subtle cues and unspoken words. As it were, they screamed louder than any words could. Something had gone terribly, _horribly_ wrong.

Hot white adrenaline flooded his frame at the words that were not being said. It led Neji to make haste, to leave the rear of the group, making his way forward, as he caught up to their captain easily.

They heard the explosion rock the forest, felt it in the tremble of the earth itself and were forced to stop, to brace themselves against the movement of the woods. Pearlescent eyes widened in horror.

"Split up! Find her!" Kakashi's snapped order was all the command he needed.

Neji took off, shooting ahead after his hound his feet never taking flight so quickly. He plummeted through brush as the fog grew dense, the trees thicker and closer together.

The team split, naturally flowing into ranks and formation, each taking a different direction without the need for words, or practise. Such was the caliber of Konoha, of the team Tsunade had put together that in less than two hours, they were able to act in sync and chorus for the sake of their objective, their mission.

…...

Hinata's pearlescent eyes found the back of her Nii-san, his low ponytail flying behind him, wet tendrils out of place, drenched with rain as they danced in flight. Neji had never looked so panicked, so umcomposed before. She bit her lip delicately, and then clenched her fists, resolved in her course of action as she took off after him. He would be the first to find her, how she knew, she could not explain it, she merely felt it. Hinata was a Hyuuga, one who trusted her feelings and intuitions most of all. But this situation had spiralled dangerously out of control, and Hinata could sense the desperation, the urgency rising. Ino had precious minutes, maybe.

…...

_ Ino, where are you? _Neji's eyes narrowed, perceptively taking in the view as the Byakugan was already summoned. Neji followed his instincts and intuition, his heart, as he whirled by, blindingly weaving through trees and foliage with disregard to his own safety, as a branch mercilessly cut into his cheek. He ignored it. Veins puffed around his eyes, adrenaline fueling the process as Neji's pupils widened and contracted. He crossed over the sight of an explosion but not the most recent one. Clearly she had planned this. It had her work written all over it. Certainly that meant that she couldn't be far? But it was not in the same position as the other explosion much further east judging from the sound.

He made his way through the forest in quick leaps and strides. He could see nothing, sense nothing in this damnable fog that was overtaking everything and nearly tripped over the bodies of fallen Iwa Ninja both gutted through by each other's swords. More of Ino's work. Neji felt his heart contract. The ground held ash clearly from an explosion. He could smell the charred acridness in the air, the smoke burning his eyes. There were several explosions clearly, and Ino had worked her way east from the look of things. Why would she go east, when Konoha's border was south and west of his current location. What had happened here?

He tried to make sense of her path as the ninja dog searched for the trail. The ground was damp and between the fog and the moisture, the scent would be difficult to detect. What would force her east? Neji thought as they continued forward. And then he knew. _The river_ he thought recalling the map he'd studied before they left. She had thought she could make it to the river to reach Konoha, as it would be the fastest route. The river was full in the spring time, making it hard to chase after her. If she was so injured that she needed the river to get her safely back... Neji felt the cold stab of fear penetrate. She had to be near by then.

Full speed, he scowered the area for her chakra signature, would be able to recognize it, if she used it. He couldn't sense it, her, he couldn't sense her anywhere.

Sheer Blind Panic spurred his haste. He increased his measure, blurring in and out of the trees eyes and ears to the forest floor as he prayed for something, anything. His dog gave a quiet yip as his head shot down. Neji beamed in exultation. He had found a fresh trail!

His nostrils picked up the scent of smoke and fire heading coming from the direction he was heading, further east as he predicted. He followed the faithful hound, exploding through shrubs and foliage, mud splattering with his passing, a grey blur in the forest. The fog dissapeared revealing a roaring river bed and a clearing in the midst of endless trees and bark. The dogs barking grew poignant, sharper as Neji followed after him. He didn't care if the hound gave away his position, it didn't matter.

There.

He broke through the clearing.

Her form, crumpled, crushed to the tree, pinned by what appeared to be a bloodied recurved dagger, covered with the congealed clarit, stained, in a furlow of her own blood at her feet. A body was slumped not far from her, her own katana embedded in it's corpse, blood staining the grass, clearly dead.

"INO" His heartbrokened cry split the forest, the need for silence and subtlety damned as he stumbled, breathe sharp and incongruent as he made his way forward to reach her.

_No no no no no! _The beetle reacted, secreting it's scent, it's purpose long forgotten, as the Branch member tumbled his way towards her. Byakugan eyes took in every detail, every nuance of her broken form. Miscellanious cuts and abrasions sprinkled along her tattered and stained anbu uniform, singed in places. Her arm was drenched in blood, her own, from the looks of it, most of it was her own, puddle forming, feeding into the furlow that drenched the ground beneath her feet.

…...

She heard the cry, could practically feel the emotion behind it.

Hinata landed a few moments after he did, cheeks flushed from exertion watching as Neji came undone at the sight of the broken blonde. She saw the body of the othe ninja, and there was no heart beat, no vital sign coming from it. Her eyes focused on Ino. She sprinted after him, feeling terror grip her, convulse her at his pain. It was horrifying.

Hinata knew her cousin, knew the depths of his sorrow and the heights of his triumph. She had never seen him like this. She had only heard this tone once, when he had found out about the death of his father and then never again. Neji was a quiet reserved man, in harness and in control of his emotions, at all times. He was not the kind to come undone, not the type to reveal his true feelings. She had been haunted by his brokenness in her childhood, feeling the weight and guilt, the responsibility. Her Nii-san, whom she had thought indestructable till that point.

He choked, arriving at the tree trunk, completely beside himself as he stared at the bloodstained Yamanaka. With trembling hands he checked her pulse. Byakugan flared.

"Nii-san-" Hinata protested, reaching for his shoulder.

"She's still alive." Neji turned, grabbing her arms, half shaking her in his panic, as he looked at her in a state of anguish and shock and naïve hope "Save her!" He pleaded.

Pearlescent eyes widened, the veins puffy as she took in the look on her cousin's face. Even without the Byakugan, without her insight into others movements and actions, and her own knowledge of feelings so strong, she could tell her was irrevocably in love with her.

Hinata's breathe caught, and suddenly the deep pit in her stomach sank further. She was the only medic on the team, and simply was no Sakura, no Tsunade sama, and no Shizune san. Hinata might not be_ able _to save her. She quelmed those thoughts instantly, any knowledge of defeat in her eyes would set Neji off, given his fragile state. She swallowed her fears, clinically professional, cooly detatched as she turned to take in the Yamanaka.

Yamanaka san was in bad shape, pinned to the tree by a dagger. Her ribs were broken, shards visible. Her lungs were more than likely punctured, bone shards and fragments slowly suffocating her, asphyxiating her lungs, in her own fluids. Ino bore severe bruising, internal bleeding, with lacerations, cuts, burns, and splinters imbedded too deep to dislodge with her gear. Her cheek bone was broken, and the healing that had been done on her arm was done in haste, still pouring out. Hinata couldn't get a good sense of the damage to her back. Her head bled freely, adding to the blood pooling beneath her that drenched her lower body.

"W-we have to r-remove the w-weapon.." Hinata heisitated, stammered.

Neji was prepared beside her, eyes dark, expression grim. His arms trembled at her side, but they needed to get her down from the tree.

Hinata would never forget the sickening squelch of blood and skin, as the knife had been sharp enough to stave off some of the damage. Precious life blood spilling out hot onto her hands as Ino's body fell forward freed from the tree. It would be impossible to release the look of Neji's face as he cradled her broken body from her memories. Hinata had a feeling she would be haunted by that memory, that sound for the rest of her days.

Ino came to life at once, cerulean eyes wide, her cry of pain met with blood dribbling from her chin as she fell forward, freed from the tree. Neji's eyes widened in shock. She landed against the bulk of the Hyuuga captain, cradled against his shoulder. Briefly she could smell the scent cedar and spruce, and the smell of fresh rain, as her blood stained him. Her broken cheek lay against his shoulder, and she felt the smile though it hurt. It didn't matter if this was a dream or not. She was content.

Ino lulled against him, limp, unconciousness again. Neji caught her, laying her down on a blanket he had prepared for her, though it was now covered in mud. Hinata ignored the tears blinding her, chakra flaring to life in her hands as she pressed it against Ino's chilled body, beneath her ribs, directly on the wound as he hastily cut away the fabric getting into the way. Had she been able to focus on him, rather than her patient, she would have seen the stray tears escape from his own eyes at her pain.

Hinata flooded her body with chakra, the light eminating. She poured, was practically dumping her chakra into Ino's coils, flushing her system with the flood of healing. There was only one problem. Her system wasn't responding as well as it needed to be. The wounds were closing, flesh and tissue replicating as they were supposed to, but Ino had lost a lot of blood, too much blood in fact, and Hinata's chakra control was not where it needed to be for this kind of intricate procedure. She was probably poisoned, judging by the blue tint to her lips, something the girl had absolutely no training for. She took a shallow breathe, refusing to give in, as she poured more chakra into the girl. That was her nindo. She wouldn't look back anymore. There was only this. Only now.

Neji's hand stroked the bloodstained tendrils of Ino's hair, tucking her bangs behind her face, as he wet a clothe, wiping the blood from her bruised cheek and face, trying to gently avoid the splinters. He bandaged her head wound and finished by tying the arm bandage tight to staunch the blood that was clotting. He had to begin to wrap another around it.

"Please." He murmured to her, bowing his head, gripping her hand, interlacing her fingers in his own. "Stay with me."

Hinata was startled by the earnestness, the sheer honesty her cousin displayed for the golden haired Yamanaka. Had he ever felt so strongly about anything? Hinata couldn't say.

"Nii-san, we need to get her back to Konoha." Hinata said, as she continued her healing.

Neji looked up, Byakugan piercing. "She needs either Sakura or Tsunade sama's care." Hinata told him.

Neji's eyes hardened and he nodded. Lifting Ino up, the girl moaning in protest, her head lolled, absent of strength, of energy and passion the girl had always had in droves. There was only one truth now. He could not fail her.

Fleet footed, faster than he had ever been, he disappeared into the foliage. Hinata grabbed their things, following after as the others arrived at the clearing, piled into rank around them, following after Neji.

…...

_She would live. She would live!_ Neji bid himself faster, harder, as he charged through the forest.

Enemy nin his senses screamed. He could see them, feel them. A kunai came towards him, and he dodged, turning without breaking stride as he leapt, his foot slammed into the enemy nin's face, killing him on impact as he craddled his precious cargo. The jostling was not good for her condition. Enemy ninja were breaking from the left flank. Swords raised high intent to take him by surprise, Neji heard Akamaru's growl, ripping the ninja in two mid air, as the partners struck from above. Kiba's toothy grin was seen as he sliced the enemy ninja into pieces.

"GO!" Kiba urged, as the others flanked around Neji, Kakashi matching him stride for stride, sharingan whirling.

Shino burst into view, a cloud of his insects buzzing near the two Iwa ninja threatening. One turned, launching forward as Shino dodged the sword easily, kunai slicing his throat, ending him as the other leapt to his defense. Bugs exploded from his hands in swarms combining with the insects already in the air surrounding and encompassing the last. He hit the floor instantly as Shino had already turned, took off after the team, catching up with them.

Neji hastened forward, a blur past them, as he pushed harder, faster.

Six more Iwa nin greeted him as he sprinted to the border. Damn it. They were going to have to detour around to avoid running into so many. They wouldn't challenge them if they were on Konoha soil. Atleast he hoped.

Kakashi didn't move as Neji veered right, summoning his raikiri and launching it towards them, as the enemy ninja could not hope to evade it in time. He turned in a sphere of skill and speed, his arm lashing out. The lightning split through their very bodies, and they fell, lifeless corpses as Neji ran on. Kiba rode on Akamaru to his left. Hinata stayed stride by stride with him on his right. Neji saw the attack coming, not for him, but for Hinata, who was grappling with another ninja. With Ino in his arms, Neji was helpless to do anything about it.

"Hinata! Left" He cried, the girl turned to see the kunai flying towards her as Kiba slammed into her side, pushing her out of harms way as he took the weapon meant for her eyes.

The younger Inuzuka cried out in pain as he felt the kunai stick between his ribs, managing to get through the anbu armor, though not deep, still astride on Akamaru as his knees gripped him tighter to avoid falling off. The Iwa ninja was a girl, he noted as leaned forward, one hand around Akamaru's neck, the other clenching his side. _I'll_ _never live this one down_ he thought grinding his teeth against the pain.

Hinata stumbled but not for long as she looked to her teammate. Kiba would live, the blow not crippling, or fatal by any stetch of the means.

Byakugan flared, veins swelling as her chakra flowed strong and powerful. She reacted without even thinking. Faster than he had ever remembered her being, she dodged the various kata's aimed to disable her, even the jutsu that whittled past her. Hinata's hands met the chest of the Iwa nin, exploding her heart within her chest instaneously. _Damn_ the Inuzuka thought watching her_._ Kiba hadn't remembered her being such a bad ass before.

She didn't stop as she sped up, leaping onto Akamaru with a single bound as she held him to keep him from falling off Akamaru, the dog slowing to keep his partner steady. Hinata reached into her medic bag, pulling the chest armor off, throwing it to Shino who caught it easily. Shino lingered close by, running alongside them as he watched Hinata work. She smeared the ointment messily, slathering it, as she placed a bit of her chakra in the wound, healing it. She was running dangerously low on chakra, Neji noted.

She ripped the bandages with her teeth, tying the ends neatly and promptly inspite of the speed and danger of their situation. Shino tossed the chest armor, and Hinata restrapped it on him, careful of his wound.

"Thanks" Kiba nodded, gripping her forearm in his tightly, his trademark fanged grin blazing. Hinata smiled back, as she dismounted from Akamaru, sticking close to Shino who released more of the bugs to swarm around her.

They were a good team, Neji thought, as they went up, over the rugged mountanous area. Perfectly matched for each other, able to balance out one anothers abilities, and protect one another in case of emergency. It appeared they had done this sort of thing before, and Neji regretted underestimating their worth in recovering Ino...if they could save her. ...

"Neji!" Kakashi motioned forward. Neji leapt over the crag of the mountains, avoiding stumbling in his haste.

Neji berated himself for his distraction. They were close to the border. Closer to home. If she could just hold on until then. His pupils contracted as he saw them.

"We've got company" He said as they broke through to the clearing.

Fifteen Iwa nin, swords and weapons beared greeted them as the forest thinned. This was an excellent place for an ambush. Neji slowed, as the others gathered around him. Pearlescent eyes moved down to Ino's unconscious form. She was pale, cold and clammy to the touch her lips rimmed with blue. A bad sign, but she still had a pulse. They would have to fight their way through to the border and even then it might be too late. Cursing in frustration, Neji tried to formulate a strategy, but their enemies wasted no time.

Powerful Jutsu flew at them, and in the very same instant, suddenly disappeared with a swirl of smoke. Shino, Kiba and Hinata exchanged questioning glances. Neji's eyes went to Kakashi's. The mangekyou whirled, his Kamui jutsu clearly a strain on his implanted sharingan as Kakashi panted, sweat dripping down his face. He merely grinned at Neji's expression.

"Get her through. We'll handle this." Kakashi ordered.

Neji frowned. "I won't abandon you." He replied simply.

"If she doesn't get help, she _will_ die, Neji." Kakashi replied. "We will be fine." He said with more optimism than he felt.

Neji could see the bluff a mile away. Kiba was injured, a wound that would strain him, trying to attack anyone close range, much less anyone getting within his proximity. He was not a distance fighter. Hinata had minimal chakra, a factor that would hinder her usefulness in defense, and Kakashi had just expended quite a bit of energy to hasten those jutsu, disgruntling them for the moment, but they would not falter for long.

"She'd never forgive me if I abandoned my friends." He said softly, as he pushed a blood stained bangs out of her face, and tucked it behind her ear.

Kakashi sighed.

"Hinata, Kiba, protect Ino. Neji, Shino and I will create a space. You two will take her, and get her through-?" Kakashi ordered, but his orders were interrupted as they felt an incredibly powerful chakra surge.

"RASENGAN SHURIKEN!" Naruto's voice cried, as he decimated half the enemy force with his powerful wind jutsu.

Dark black ink tigers tore into the second half, ninja retreating as the screams of their comrades spurred them into action. Kakashi grinned behind his mask as he ignited a raikiri, taking out the remaining.

"What took you so long?" Kakashi chided as they finished off their enemies.

"Dickless hadn't finished his ramen yet." Sai replied with a shrug.

"I didn't need your help, Sai. Or you either, Kakashi sensei" Naruto stuck out his tongue, pouting.

"We don't have time for that-" Kakashi's voice halted as he saw the final member of his team come up behind them. Cherry blossum pink hair bright as those green eyes took him in.

"Kakashi sensei?" Sakura asked at his troubled look as she straightened her chuunin vest. Sai stood beside her and it couldn't have been a more welcome sight.

"Dickless dragged me and Ugly out when we got back from our mission, since you were going to need the help." Sai said simply with a shrug though there was a hint of knowing smirk upon his face. It was typical that the one depth of emotion he would be able to express after years of effort would be sarcasm.

"Sakura!" Neji cried, utterly releaved as he craddled Ino.

The petal haired medic saw her best friend in Hyuuga Neji's arms. One hard ass Hyuuga anbu captain was closely and carefully carrying her best friend, bridal style no less. Concern and a sort of fierce determination was etched into those pearlescent eyes. What Naruto had said then had been true. One look at her condition and she knew she had made the right decision. Ino needed help. Badly.

"We have to get her across the border. It's not far" Sakura shouted and everyone summoned their chakra, getting ready to run.

"It will be a lot quicker if we transport. Everybody get close" Naruto ordered as they gathered around him. He summoned his rikudo mage chakra, and suddenly the group was moving too fast to see. Had anyone been able to spot them they would have only seen a yellow flash. Naruto had just used an enormous amount of chakra, some of it the Kyuubi's. They appeared inside the hospital and Naruto promptly stumbled over. Sai and Shino barely caught him.

"Do you have other wounded?" Sakura asked clinically as they walked through the doors. She checked in with the nurses, summoning help immediately, but it wasn't needed. Help was already there as Ino was taken from Neji's arms, placed on a gurney and needles and I.v.s were being administered. Sakura allowed the nurses to take Ino, as glowing chakra ignited around her. Someone helped Sakura into her surgeons gear, placing the scrubs over her ninja gear as they walked past the double doors of the lobby.

Hinata, Kiba and Akamaru stayed where they were, though the hospital staff in the office was giving them dirty looks. Shino and Sai were propping Naruto up in a chair as the blonde came to, eyes whirling.

…...

"Yes." Kakashi answered Sakura as they rounded the hallways. "Kiba took a kunai to the ribs, but Hinata stabilized him. Nothing life threatening, Ino is the priority right now and she needs your care" Kakashi told her.

"You will be heading in as well, Kakashi sensei along with the rest of your team for a check up" She scolded as she looked at his blood stained hands and his eye. "You overextended yourself"

Kakashi scratched his head with a soft chuckle.

"Naruto too, will need to be checked. Every time he uses his wind chakra he takes damage. If you leave before I or one of my staff okay you, I will send notice to Tsunade shishou" Sakura threatened her old sensei as she disappeared into the surgery room.

…...

Neji was craddling Ino in his arms, as Medic nin filled into the hallway of the hospital. An assuming hand tugged her from his grips, and he almost protested, but simply clenched his fist, keeping his arms at his sides as he watched them strap her down to the bed, beginning to hook her up to various equipment. His hand reached out to brush her hand, before they were running her down the halls.

Neji stood there, bereft. He could not follow, because he was not family, or a teammate.

_ Ino..._


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Channeling Michelle Pfeiffer with darker eyes and an updo hair for Ino's mom. She exists according to the anime, and I will leave it at that.

Music of the Update: "I want you back" Civil Wars and really all of their music, ironically enough kanye west, katy perry and a slew of other random music that doesn't really fit with this chapter but was inspiring nonetheless.

To Thirdtimescharm: I was not sure what to do when I did not hear from you and it has been months and months on end. I debated whether continuing this or not. I made the decision to continue as I had not heard from you. If you still exist, please let me know and know that I still want to work with you on this story if you're willing.

Special thanks to Nukumi for her substitute beta-ness!

I am on the lookout for a new beta unless I hear from my old one. Interested? Message me please!

Neji sat, head drooping, as he fought to stay awake. Exhaustion and fatigue wore on him the longer he waited in the chairs of the waiting room in Konoha's hospital. He was too properly raised to pace as he had seen others do, though the desire was there, seen clearly by how hard he clenched the arm rests. He had dozed off a few times but never found sleep for very long in the uncomfortable chairs. Too many ninja burst in through the doors with emergencies for him to sleep soundly. He had never before considered the emotional state of medic nin and the crisis they had to deal with on a consistent basis.

If he were honest, his own emotional status was less than what it should be. Neji was not the kind to be anxious, but he was now. No amount of pulling rank, sweet talking or even bullying could convince the nurse at the head desk to give him any sort of information on Ino. He was slowly narrowing down the list of hospital floors she was on by the patients that came and left but that only made him more anxious. He was left to sit and wait. Neji had always been a patient man. This was torture.

He understood more and more why his squad avoided this place. Anbu avoided hospitals like the plague and some even carried good luck charms or tokens of their loved ones affections to ward off the death god. Neji was the exception. He was not as superstitious as other anbu when it came to associating a building with death. Neji knew better. Luck and superstition could not change someone's fate. As he had learned the hard way in the chuunin exams, the only way to change your fate, was to do so with your own power, the strength of your own resolve.

He had faith that Ino's persistence would keep her, bind her to this plane of existence. She was the most tenacious kunoichi he knew.

While the Hyuuga prodigy was not naïve enough to carry such superstitious tokens, that did not mean he preferred hospitals. The smell of death lingered in the halls, outside of the rooms of patients adding to his discomfort. Some of the nurses in passing were covered in blood, causing Neji to rise as he felt ill. In those dreadful moments he could understand how the un-religious found it. He prayed to any god that would hear him that they weren't delivering the news to him. So far he had witnessed three such heart rendering confessions to family and loved ones. He had seen how quickly life could be saved or lost and what that loss did to those left behind. Ino would not, could _not_ be one of those.

Ino's family was surprisingly amiss, which made overhearing about her condition more difficult. Inoichi was on a mission aside from his old team. On the contrary, both Shikaku and Chouza had both stopped by. Their sons were restricted from the hospital until 48 hours after their mission by the hokage. They wouldn't have to wait much longer. Ino's mother was the only representation of the family and the clan for the moment. She stopped by to check in on the progress of her daughter but did not linger. Neji hadn't the energy to greet her with anymore than an acknowledging nod as they both knew who each were, but had never been formally introduced.

Every six hours, Ino's mother would ask for news on her daughter and all they could say was that she was in surgery in the critical care unit. The nurses stopped by to give information but that was to say that she was still in surgery and it was too soon to tell one way or another how she would fare. They went over the list of her extensive wounds, lists Neji already knew. It had been 18 hours since he had gotten Ino to the hospital, and she had spent everyone of those hours in the critical care unit.

Ino's mother sat down with a sigh as she finished being debriefed from the nurse.

"You are anbu captain Hyuuga Neji, son of Hyuuga Hizashi are you not?" Ino's mother asked him. She was bold enough to make the introduction herself, and Neji mentally kicked himself as he should have taken the initiative.

"Yes, Yamanaka san. You can call me Neji, if you please" He replied respectfully.

"I must thank you then, Neji, for the rescue of my daughter. She has a penchant for exceeding the expectations of others around her at the cost of failing to recognize her own limitations" She bowed formally.

Neji took in the appearance of Ino's mother with consideration. Ino had received her eyes from her father, but Ino's facial features and characteristics it seemed, were definitely inherited as far as the Hyuuga could see. Her mother bore finer lines of age around her face and more life experience. Neji began to wonder which were expressions were her mother's, which were her father's and which were hers? Ino did share the same golden hair color as her mother.

"It was hardly a rescue, Yamanaka san. Ino did her duty, both to her clan and the village. I was merely doing mine." Neji replied with a small smile and a bow of his own.

Intelligent cobalt blue eyes took in his every move. The Hyuuga possessed the Byakugan, infused with a powerful sense of intuition. But staring at the lady Yamanaka fair, he felt he'd met his match.

"You take so little credit for yourself and your abilities." The Yamanaka matriarch answered her tone cool and accessing. Neji had no reply to this and thus did not make one.

A comfortable silence settled around them as they watched the newest stream of nurses and medic nin come and go. Neji noted that Ino's mother kept her gaze locked on him, as if she could see and hear his inner thoughts. _If she was the Yamanaka matriarch, she probably could_. The thought made Neji swallow, his throat suddenly uncomfortably dry.

"I suppose from an outsider it must seem like I do not care for the health of my daughter." She remarked boldly to Neji with a hint of a smirk, as she settled comfortably in the chair. It was a look Ino shared with her mother and the resemblance was as eerie as it was oddly comforting.

Neji promptly stiffened as he realized her words. He would never insult another clan 's lady and he was about to make a vehement reply when Ino's mother merely chuckled at his pose.

"We are both born of a clan of ninja. I married one." She told him, and her eyes twinkled a darker blue, like the night sky.

She was looking for a reaction and judging from her expression she had gotten one. Neji's guard rose, along with his respect.

"I knew what I was getting into when Inoichi signed her up for the ninja ranks. I knew what that meant probably more than he did." On this, she paused with a smile and she was remembering better times from the expression, resting her fingers above her eyebrow, her thumb resting on her cheek.

Neji nodded politely.

"All of that to say this; Yamanaka do not go down easily, and we do not tarry at the tasks we have been given. We take that duty very seriously" She told him as if it were something he did not already know.

The Yamanaka Matriarch eyed the young Hyuuga as she considered. He did not know that she knew more than he had offered. She knew he had volunteered for the mission, knew that he had put himself in harms way to ensure her daughter's safety. She was no fool. She could recognize strength when she saw it, even if others of the village would not. She knew the power struggle between Branch and House Hyuuga and this young man had overcome remarkable opposition. And he had more trials to face.

"We know our duty to the Hokage and to the people. We are a people of the will of fire, and the pressures of leading a clan can be ...chaffing at times." She said with the hint of a smile gracing her features.

Neji acknowledged the formidable women with deference. The ability to feel and not be able to act upon those feelings as others looked to you for strength was a difficult one to bear. If she checked on her daughter anymore than she did what would it say for the clans faith in the hospital staff? This lady understood clan pressures and the politics of being in a village of shinobi.

Neji put his own powers of observation to good use, tired of being on the receiving end. She was bold, not a woman to be lost in a crowd, and yet elegant and poised though not with what he was used to dealing with; clothe or finery. She was not a Hyuuga lady of the main house, too fine to be wrapped with anything else but silk and too delicate to stand up to the harsh realities of life. She was real, down to earth, and yet regal in her own right. He could see this woman, perfectly calm and collected in the heat of battle as she cut her opponents down with little reaction.

"I have spent most of my life in hospitals, waiting, and I have found, young Hyuuga that waiting here or waiting there makes little difference." Ino's mother told him.

The Yamanaka matriach was nothing of what Neji had thought her to be, but this was not surprising as Ino herself was not what he had expected of her either. It was the way she carried herself, with dignity and vivacity, a strength of character about her. Neji wished he had half her grace in light of the circumstances and wondered suddenly what his refusal to leave was communicating about the Hyuuga clan?

"I have learned that life does not stop because of these mishaps and that my clan still needs me. I will not dishonor them, as I will not forsake my daughter." She said simply.

Neji's eyes caught and held hers, his admiration and respect rising further. She smiled softly in acknowledgment.

"Therefore; Please try to get some rest. We will know more soon enough and I will notify you should anything change." She told him, gripping a hand on his shoulder. She left with a bow.

Neji bowed to her, surprised by the encounter. Ino's mother was a strong woman, a proper clan lady to Inoichi and the Yamanaka clan. She was not useless to her clan with Ino's hospitalization, but continued to accomplish tasks and see things through. Others might judge her harshly but he would not.

…...

Tenten didn't bother knocking on Lee's door. She knew she would never find him at his apartment at this time of day or the man she was searching for. Her teammates were hopelessly addicted to training. She was in good company then she thought, with a wry grin.

Tenten walked to the end of the residential district, and felt herself breathe easier as the forest and the trees appeared around her leaving behind the buildings and busyness of town. Here were rocks and trees and forest, the playground of ninja. Tenten lived when she was on missions and the transition from hardened campaigner to teacher was difficult. She still took missions on the side whenever her schedule would allow it and still trained with her old team simply because she missed it.

Her thumb brushed the inside of her her palm, a habit she'd picked up as she impatiently waited for her geinnin to comprehend what she had just taught them. The callouses on her palms felt comforting as she reached for her kunai. She made her way deep into the woods and searched for his chakra. Lee was nearby. Tenten navigating her way the huge trees, heard and felt the strange crash. She turned past an older pine to find Lee lifting boulders and throwing them. Tenten blinked, her only reaction to the ridiculous training methods her teammates employed and carefully approached.

"Lee." She said, as another boulder crashed and he bent to lift another groaning in agony or perhaps victorious declaration. One could never be too sure when it came to Lee or Gai sensei. The so called genius of hard work was so involved in his training task that he had not heard her.

"Lee" She tried again, attempting to summon the feelings of inner peace and tranquility, calm and zen. Such were the keys to mastering taijutsu and deeper self discovery. He did not appear to notice those efforts either.

"LEE!" She finally yelled so that her clueless teammate would hear her.

He looked over, promptly dropping the boulder and barely avoiding his toes. "Ah, Tenten san. I should have sensed the spirit of your youth, but I was busy completing the most recent training exercise Gai sensei assigned me and-"

Before Lee could ramble on, Tenten cut him off.

"Lee, have you seen Neji lately? He came back from his other mission right?" Tenten asked, brow furrowed. She had hoped Neji would be sparring with Lee. It wasn't like him to miss out on their team trainings unless something was wrong.

"He returned from his mission to sound, but was assigned to another retrieval mission by the Hokage" Lee replied.

"Retrieval mission? Who was missing?" Tenten asked confused.

She'd heard nothing along the way about anyone being missing, but then her team had gone out on a c ranked escort mission to sand and there was little between here and there for her to gain such news.

"Why Ino san, from the Yamanaka clan. He brought her back and headed straight for the hospital. The fire of her youth seemed greatly diminished. My esteemed rival has refused to leave her side." Lee replied.

Tenten felt like she'd taken one of Gai sensei's kicks to her gut. She sucked in a sharp breathe, trying to think. Lee's worried look came into focus in her brown eyes as he eyed her.

"Tenten san. Are you alright?" He asked, thick brows furrowing.

"He's at the hospital?" She replied, not even having heard his question.

Lee looked at her expression, and then slowly nodded, gripping her shoulder in compassion. Tenten shook it off. "I'll-" She swallowed. "I'll see you at the practice field tomorrow. Sorry!" She said , disappearing into the forest.

Tenten arrived, the bento box in hand. She summoned her courage, pushed her shoulders back and felt the smile come easily to her lips. It wasn't hard to smile when Neji was around. She found him sitting in the awfully upholstered chairs, leaning forward, elbows rested on his knees, hands clasped together and eyes closed. She could tell he had not left since his mission, the dark stains on his uniform and the puffy bags underneath his eyes. Stubborn. The Hyuuga prodigy could be tenaciously stubborn when he wanted to be and no one could tell him otherwise. Tenten had come up against his stubbornness in their team, time and time again, when Neji was at his limits, still insisting he could do more.

"How long have you been sitting here like this?" Tenten was impressed with her tone, her smile genuinely amused as those bleary pearlescent eyes opened. Even in his worst, he was still terribly handsome and she had to remind herself again not to stare.

"Tenten." He said his tone holding weariness but also some warmth which sent bubbly feelings straight down to her toes. Tenten was much too disciplined to let it show, however. She was a ninja first and foremost.

"I return from my mission only to find you on another one. So much for training." She replied taking a seat. She passed him the bento box and he nodded to her in thanks.

"So what happened?" She asked as he ate. Chocolate brown eyes did not miss the small details others might when examining the Hyuuga prodigy.

Few knew this, but Neji had a huge appetite after missions. He ate lightly on the mission, worry for his team and focus on the task at hand taking the priority. Neji could go weeks nibbling on days worth of rations, were it not for his teammates looking out for him and often times forcing him to eat. He came back from missions to a full meal and made up for his losses though he would always be trim. It had something to do with the way his chakra flowed but Tenten only teased him about him worrying about his girlish figure.

He devoured the contents of the bento box with gusto, and yet was still aware of propriety. There was not a crumb spilled though he ate faster than he ordinarily would have if he was at the Main house. One thing Neji was not, and that was undisciplined. He was a master of self control and so even though he was starving he ate still with dignity. She wondered if he had ever been covered with crumbs from his food. But Neji would never be so unrefined.

"Shikamaru and Chouji returned from their mission with fifty five children in tow. On their mission they had discovered the training facility for the missing children. There were only three of them to hold off an entire fleet. Ino volunteered to stay behind to give them a fighting chance." Neji said, the admiration in his eyes was subtle, but of course he was subtle and one would have to really study him to pick up on his moods and tones.

It was obvious but only because she knew him better than anyone else. He lit up when he talked about the Yamanaka girl and Tenten felt the words in her throat stick as he spoke with tempered passion.

"Our orders were to find her and bring her back. I-we; that is the team found her and brought her to the hospital. She's been in critical care ever since." Neji replied with a heavy sigh. His eyes strayed to the door again, waiting for some sort of news.

"You know Neji, you are _done_ with the mission. You returned her just like you were supposed to. You could, you know, take a shower, fill out your mission paperwork, maybe sleep or something." Tenten said with a grin, though it didn't reach her eyes.

If he had not left since she arrived...Tenten fought the impulse to bite her lip. This was serious.

Of course Neji was waiting for her because that was the sort of standup guy he was. The kind of guy she knew he had always been; because he had once done those very same things for her. He had looked at her that way once, spoken to her, and about her with the same tenderness and concern. Tenten had been too proud to admit the growing attraction then. She now sorely wished she had.

"I want to make sure she's alright." Neji said simply.

He was so confident in that confession. Simple and yet profound in his confidence. Neji was a man of many secrets and layers. It had taken her years to get beyond the surface with him. And Tenten was anything but stupid particularly when it came to Hyuuga Neji. She knew, had known all along, when things changed with him.

It was right before Ino had become an anbu member, after team Gai had been redistributed according to their skills. Tenten had been given her own team, something she had always dreamed of, and Lee had also been made an instructor. Neji was placed within anbu's ranks and had thrived there, rising from promotion to promotion until finally he was made a captain of his squad. It was at that time, when Tsunade had really started giving him missions, ones that focused on how well he developed his teammates. She had been honing his leadership abilities.

It was why after his successes, Tsunade had placed Ino under his wing. Ino had been newly promoted to Anbu and it wasn't surprising. She was one of Konoha's top kunoichi and had graduated with high honors in all her course work. She even came from a prestigious clan. It seemed cruelly unfair to the brunette that he would fall for some one so beautiful and accomplished. Tenten was brilliant in her own rights, she was an excellent kunoichi and was no push over in the ranks, but Ino was in a whole other league in regards to beauty. It was on that mission, her first that Tenten had noticed. Something had changed in him after that.

Perhaps he had taken to heart the riot act Tsunade had read him to keep her safe. Neji was nothing if not thorough in any objectives he was given and this was not to be underestimated with him. Maybe he'd finally opened those Byakugan outside of a mission wide enough to really notice how pretty she was. Perhaps something had happened on that mission between them. Whatever it was, whatever had happened, Neji was under Ino's spell when he returned. It wasn't overt, anything that anyone else would notice and Neji certainly wouldn't draw attention to the fact or put himself forward unless he had good reason to. In spite of his confidence, Neji was shy when it came to matters of the heart. But Lee and Tenten could see it as clear as day.

It was the way his eyes automatically searched out for her after missions. The way he picked up her chakra signals and patterns faster than others. He always knew if she was around and she could never surprise him when she delivered scrolls or summons from the hokage. He was flustered around her, but only Tenten seemed to notice. It was in the way he made excuses and reasons to make sure she arrived at the gate after her missions, even if only in passing to the next thing they were doing. It was in the way his eyes darkened as he watched team ten interact with the blonde particularly lingering a jealous eye on the Nara clan heir. In the way they would sometimes go to the barbeque place even though Neji hardly ate anything he ordered.

Neji was in love with her.

"I know you do." Tenten told him, placing a hand on his in support.

Tenten knew all of that. But she couldn't change her feelings anymore than he could. She had found out too late, after the Hyuuga had moved on from her affections, that she loved him. She loved him so much it hurt. And he was gone, and there was no going back.

Neji smiled slightly back, but the tension was there in his grip on the armchair. She removed her hand and he removed his shortly after, pearlescent eyes on the nurses that came out.

It seemed there was no news on her condition, Neji returned to his first position, restless and edgy.

Tenten swallowed, feeling the words clam up, as they always did whenever he was involved.

"Change is a good thing, isn't it?" Tenten prompted, leaning back in the chair and crossing one leg over the other as she looked at him.

Neji turned to her, a frown on his face as he considered it. Tenten was one for talking about nothing at all given the chance and they often did on missions. She would ask questions with no true answers all the time, and they would ponder and critique the nuances the question held.

"Not always." Neji replied, wishing this old nostalgia could distract him from what was going on. "Sometimes change can be negative."

"Change isn't always for the best then, is it? You never know what the future holds. You get the change, but not the choice of whether it will turn out well or not." Tenten chided as she looked at the Branch member.

His hair was mussed, but still had its luster. A days worth of stuble lay on his face. Neji was never like this. He had thrown his hair messily back over his shoulders, but the hairtie he kept it in was coming loose. This was not like Neji to be so uncomposed.

"Yes change is a risk. But it's a risk worth taking."

"But somethings don't have to change" Tenten replied. "Too much change can be just as detrimental as no change." She said, trying to keep her heart from her eyes.

"And sometimes it's a double edged sword. However, with no growth, or change able to occur... that is worse, I think. Things cannot remain as they always have been." Neji replied.

Of course he would say that, given his experience of tradition and values. He had believed his father murdered, when the truth was his father gave up his life voluntarily. Neji had changed, after meeting Naruto on the battlefield of the chunnin exams. Tenten smiled, though she felt hurt by the response. He knew what he was getting into, whether he realized what they were talking about or not and she had no doubts that Neji was intelligent. She could no longer avoid the thoughts, the questions screaming in the back of her mind. She would confront it, address it head on. She would risk.

"Do you remember when we had that training accident? And you and Lee stayed in the hospital for 3 days waiting for me?" She asked him, brown eyes soft in their memories.

Neji nodded. "I do. You were in critical condition and all of us were afraid we had been too late. We would have been, if not for your resilience."

Neji shifted, his uncomfort with the subject growing.

"Do you remember what you told me, when Lee and Gai sensei stopped apologizing, and crying over me with their "manly tears for my youth" and left?" Tenten asked him.

Neji stiffened.

"What did you say to me, Neji?" Tenten beckoned.

Neji swallowed, hard. Tenten had never been this direct before. They had danced around each other in their geinnin days and she had made her sentiments known. Neji had accepted that.

"I said I never wanted to loose you again." Neji said, his voice dragged through gravel.

Tenten was too self controlled for him to know she'd fought the flinch his words had brought. Tenten always had her guard up.

"You did. And I was so foolish. I thought I knew better." Tenten replied with a laugh.

Neji said nothing, eyes to his hands. "Tenten-" He began, gently, his face pained.

Tenten was no fool. She had risked, and had lost. She knew a pity speech when she saw one, and decided to spare him the need. Tenten had her pride.

"You really love her don't you?" Tenten asked him, knowing the words were like bile, but needing to get them out. She needed to know the truth, needed to hear it from him.

Neji was startled, as he looked into her eyes bewildered. Tenten almost laughed at his look but she knew better. She withheld her laughter for Neji was not someone to be teased when he was serious about something. It would hurt his feelings, though he would die before admitting it.

He recovered quicker than she could possibly predict, and there it was. That same confidence and assurance he had as he talked about Ino earlier.

"I have never felt this way about anyone before." Neji declared, his eyes shinning, though the look was somewhere between deep devotion and pain at her question. He had never looked this. Serious. Devoted was a better word for it. Someone had finally gotten him outside of his own world. Ino had gotten him to think of someone outside of his life as a ninja. They both knew who the pain was for, and Tenten was not the kind of girl who needed that sort of sympathy. Not from him.

"I get it." Tenten told him a hint of a real smile on her face. "I'm not going to get in the way."

Neji was further floored by her words, eyes wide.

"Tenten, you weren't in the-" Neji faltered

"Stop" She told him, bowing her head to get a hold of herself. "Anything else you say will just be too painful. I just want you to know... that I want you to be happy." She told him, fighting to keep a straight face. Her eyes burned just a little but he would not see her cry.

She rose and made her way to the door.

"Tenten." Neji beckoned.

She stopped and tilted her head, indicating that she could hear him.

"Thank you." He replied solemnly.

…...

Inoichi Yamanaka was in high spirits as he returned to the village from his latest mission. He had been able to collect the intelligence needed, and finish up his spying mission with relatively no complications. All in all it was a good day. He was looking forward to spending a quiet evening alone with his clan and wife, planning on checking in with his daughter on her latest mission, if she was back yet. Inoichi sauntered to the gate, enjoying his leisurely pace as the sun drew low, it's zenith about to fall behind the faces of the kages. He even whistled a cheerful tune as he strolled to the gate. When he made his way over the hill his eyes could make out someone aside from the usual guard at the entrance. It was the lone figure leaning on the gigantic doorways of the gates into hidden leaf, that drew his attention.

Smoke whirled around the man as he stood by the gate, scars apparent on his tanned face. The torn up vest stood out against the green vest, fishnets beneath all of it in a lackadaisical style. Thick black bushy hair stood up every which way in it's high ponytail and that was unmistakable. Shikaku Nara, his former teammate and best friend had been waiting for him to arrive. Normally the Nara was at home with his troublesome wife having to be coerced into doing whatever task the lady Nara had for him. Shikaku was hardly ever this proactive. Warning signals flared to life in Inoichi's mind as his leisurely pace increased.

"Shikaku." He greeted, feeling the pit in his stomach drop though he forced a smile for his old friend. "I don't suppose this is a friendly visit, is it?" He offered a handshake which the older Nara took and returned. The two men began to walk.

Shikaku stuffed his hands in his pockets, a telling sign in and of itself, and Inoichi felt his chakra spike. Shikaku's lips tightened over the cigarette in his mouth, ash building up on the bud, neglected, another ill omen. Judging from that look, and the way he was smoking, it was something important and that could only mean that it wasn't good. And it was something that involved him in some way. _Damn it_. There never was any good news anymore.

Inoichi's look fell. He looked at his longtime friend, the black eyes held the tension there. It could only be about one thing. Shikaku would only come to him about one thing. He paused, taking a breathe and releasing it. There was no sense in avoiding the news, whatever it was. Though he had a good idea already of what it was about.

"Its about Ino isn't it?" He asked finally.

Shikaku sighed, smoke escaping from his nostrils as he did so. "I think you should come with me." He told his longtime teammate.

"Tell me." Inoichi insisted.

"It's not for me to tell." Shikaku replied, and the two made for a sprint to the Nara clan house.


	7. Chapter 7

Music of the update: "Wide awake" By Katy Perry

Neji had spent the first eighteen hours in a calm, practical mood. He even rounded the first twenty four hours with a grace of a noble of the house of Hyuuga as he waited in the hospital. It was unrealistic for him to expect news with the list of extensive injuries she had. She would probably be undergoing several procedures. Poison protocol was definitely a twenty four hour over night ordeal to monitor the victim and insure that there was no lingering effects or residue left in the blood stream. It was at thirty hours and fourty two minutes in the hospital when Neji begin to panic. He could not sit in the chairs any longer, and took to pacing. In the middle of his 3,756th step he saw the pink haired medic nin taking off her surgery cap and mask, and flash stepped to her as she nearly fell.

"S-sorry- I'm a little woozy" Sakura smiled weakly and Neji helped her to a chair. She settled, and it was then that Neji realized she was still in her scrubs. Dark stains marred them, where she had clearly been leaning over too much of her work. Neji's eyes darkened perceptively.

"I wanted you to hear it from me first because I know you've been waiting for news." Sakura said.

Neji felt the pit in his stomach sink. He swallowed hard, fists clenched as he waited.

"It was looking grim as we extracted the poison. It had been in her system for so long already. If she had been an hour later..." Sakura trembled.

If...Neji's heart skipped a beat as he gripped her shoulder, pearlescent eyes compassionate as he looked down on her, giving her the strength to continue.

"There were several complications, which is why I did not come to see you sooner" Sakura began, hesitating as she looked away from those eyes that could see through her fatigue and professional thick skin.

Sakura slumped her shoulders. "Ino's lung was punctured by the knife and we found fragments of bone shards from her cracked ribs. Her arm was shattered, full of shards and fragments, it looked like it had been through a shredder. She was poisoned which complicated the healing of everything else. She had a concussion from a blow to the head. She had various burns, second degree and third degree, explosions from the look of it, and splinters and gravel buried in her skin. Her back was lacerated from the knife, skin in tatters. There was so much surface abrasion..." Sakura confessed.

"Sakura. Tell me." Neji ordered.

"The poison has been extracted as far as I can tell, but we're monitoring her vitals for other signs and symptoms around the clock for the next twenty four hours to be sure. I was able to perform an advanced surgery, and get rid of the bone shards in her lungs, regrow the tissue there with some extensive stitches. We were able to stabilize her. She should pull through, but her recovery will depend on a variety of factors, how well her system takes to the blood transfusions we've already given her." Sakura said.

Neji closed his eyes, exultant, gratitude overwhelming him. He had no right to expect for her to come through and it was only through Sakura's abilities that she had managed to.

"Thank you." Neji opened his eyes, his weary smile beaming in those exhausted pearlescent eyes.

"Of course. Ino is my best friend." Sakura said, as if it should be obvious, but there was more going on than what she was saying. Byakugan eyed the pinkette medic carefully. Her words held an edge to them as she looked fearlessly into his eyes.

Neji returned the look, surprised by the amount of tension held in her tone. They were meant as an veiled threat judging by her stance, the hardened look in those jade eyes. The question was what was she threatened about?

"Neji what is this about?" Sakura asked him, biting her lip as she crossed her arms over her chest as she looked up at the Hyuuga prodigy. She was uncertain even as she was asking it.

"I'm not sure I understand your question, Sakura" Neji replied with a frown.

Pink brows pulled together as worry lines appeared above her forehead. "Okay, let's try this another way. Why is this so important to you? Why would you risk your position for Ino? Why did you wait so long to hear this news?" Sakura asked him, waiting for an answer.

"It was my mission." Neji replied, as if volunteering to find her was a regular ordinary part of his responsibilities. Sakura scowled at the expression, rising to her feet.

"What's in it for you?" Sakura pressed further. Her bold words gave him some sort of indication of what she was after, but Neji was not one to be provoked.

Neji's eyes narrowed a fraction. "The satisfaction of knowing that she's _alive._ Is that not enough for you to believe?" He retorted.

Clearly it wasn't, as she crossed her arms.

"I'm not sure I'm understanding what you're trying to imply, Sakura." Neji replied, crossing his own arms as he met her jaded look.

Sakura sighed. Perhaps she was pushing too hard, but she couldn't help but be defensive about Ino, particularly in the state she was in. Ino was her best friend. Sure they had arguments and spats all the time, and drove each other bat shit crazy. But in the end, she always knew where she stood with Ino-pig. Sakura had come far too close to loosing her best friend, and it had awoken something fierce in her. She would protect her friend as best she could, and the fact that he was another clan prodigy with an interest in the blonde had the hair on the back of her neck standing up. She wouldn't let Ino be used. She would protect her precious people.

"What do you want from Ino?" Sakura asked him, stabbing an accusing finger into his chest, green eyes sharp and penetrating.

Neji did not flinch from the look as he interpreted her concerns correctly. Sakura was worried for her friend, worried about his intentions for Ino. In that they were even.

"I expect nothing from her." Neji replied.

Sakura's look suggested otherwise.

"Please listen to me, Haruno san. Ino owes me no debt to be paid. This isn't about numbers, vendettas or even politics" He replied softly, thinking to address some of the the concerns Sakura seemed to have.

"You're evading my questions, Neji." Sakura replied with a slight grin as her stance grew less aggressive.

"What I _want _from her..." Neji replied simply, turning as he made his way out of the hospital

"Is _everything_." He said over his shoulder.

…...

Ino opened her eyes and regretted it immediately. The sterile smell of medical equipment, the smell of the hospital making her eyes water. And the agonizing pain. She tried to sit up and felt the stars in her eyes, excruciating sensations lancing through her nervous system, feeling the pull of muscles and bone, most of which she'd broken, torn, bruised and battered. It hurt to breathe and she began to cough as she realized the tenderness of her lungs. She noticed the lattice work of stitches done on her chest cavity and just below her ribs which were definitely broken. Various bones that had been set in place. Her arm was in a cast and from the looks and feel of it, had been through hell and a half and back.

Her back burned, ached, the wounds pulling with every miniscule movement she made and Ino had had to suck in a sharp shuddering breathe to get a hold of herself. Confused perwinkle eyes flickered underneath black lashes as she remembered what had happened. In her last moments she had been pinned to a tree. She remembered dying or something akin to it. And she remembered the smell of sweet pine and cedar and the color of the water.

She stared at the room, taking it all in as if she had never seen it before. She was definitely in Konoha given the view of the windows and that led her to take a deep sigh of relief. Tiled squares of white, splayed across the roof, and mismatching yellow and orange tiles across the floor of the iron hospital bed and the aura of light around everything looking like a false halo. How many drugs had they pumped into her system? Barely managing to turn her head a fraction, she realized she was in a neck brace. Ino hoped it was for precaution. On the borders of her senses, she felt their chakra. Dark pineapple shaped hair greeted her, along with a mane of red hair as both cried out her name.

"INO!" They declared, both of her boys practically rushing her, as they embraced her in a tight hug jostling the bed. Their tears dampened her hospital gown and had she had the ability she would have ruffled their hair, punched them in the shoulder and scolded them. As it was she let out a gasp of pain.

"Idiots." She hissed feeling something of her former self. "Get offa me before I break something else!" She wheezed, though the tears in her eyes weren't entirely ascribed to her pain as she grinned through her pain. Of course her boys were here. They were InoShikaChou after all.

"I-I-Ino..." Shikamaru's eye was swollen black bruise apparent though it looked like he was was trying to hide it. She would have to ask him where he got the shiner later currently she was more concerned by the rest of his appearance. His clothing was unkempt, his hair more of a birds nest than usual. Aside from the bruise his eyes were puffy like he hadn't slept in weeks, saline streaming down as he released her. Chouji was in no better shape, though he did not bear a swollen eye. His bottom lip trembled, wet trails down his face as he stood there.

"C'mon boys, cheer up. I made it back didn't I?" Ino stated trying to lighten the mood with a grin.

This only made it worse it seemed as they wiped with their sleeves. "You almost didn't" Chouji murmured.

Ino's eyes softened at the heartbroken look of her boys, trying to sit up before the tremor of pain shook through her. She hissed, sucking in breathe between clenched teeth as she tried to relax her body but her fists clenched. Shikamaru rose as Chouji grabbed her hand and winced as he held on while she rode the waves of pain.

"Hurts" She choked between tears that were now entirely attributed to pain.

"Get Sakura in here, Now." Shikamaru ordered to the nurse down the hall. He took off sprinting, but the petal haired nin wasn't far anyways, entering into the room, pushing through the boys as her hands glowed green.

"Settle down Ino, if you break those stitches, you'll bleed out. You're gonna need another transfusion as it is" Sakura told her.

Ino glared with contempt as she felt the precision of Forehead's chakra enter her system. Cool healing relief poured into her, and Ino was helpless against it. The waves of chakra lapped at her pain, flooding it, cleansing the wounds and infections, overflowing into her conciousness.

"I-Ino..." Shikamaru began, unable to look at her.

"Shika, knock it off." Ino retorted sharply, and this did make him look up. "You didn't do anything wrong. You followed my orders." Ino told him, grimacing as Sakura began to change her bandages.

"I should have never listened." Shikamaru replied apparently in one of his, "_I'm a bad leader" _moods more than likely inspired by the over-expectations of his clan as clan head and his own unrealistic expectations of himself. She'd have to beat that out of him later when she could walk again. "I should have known any idea you have would be too troublesome." He continued, trying to be humorous, and failing miserably.

Ino could have gotten upset, but it would only serve to make him more self loathing than he already was. So she decided to go with unfailing optimism.

"But it worked didn't it?" Ino gave him a wink and the victory sign and flinched as Sakura poked her ribs.

"Ahg, careful Forehead! I just busted those!" Ino screeched.

Chouji and Shikamaru exchanged bemused looks in spite of themselves. "Same old Ino." Chouji said with a grin relieved that she was feeling well enough to be sassy, and banter with her best friend. It was a good sign.

"I would say your plan worked a little too well, Ino pig. The next time you think about sacrificing yourself, do us all the favor and DON'T" Sakura scowled.

"Always complaining about your job. You would think you were some kind of medic nin or something." Ino trolled and yelled at Sakura when she pulled the bandages tighter.

"Do what she says Ino." Shikamaru said, trying to hide a smile.

"I don't do what _anybody _tells me to" Ino said sticking her tongue out at her childhood friend.

"Yeah well until these stitches are out, you're gonna get used to it" Sakura threatened wth a shake of her fist.

"We'll check back in on you later." Chouji waved.

Sakura sighed as they left, and Ino settled on the bed, feeling her head spin just a little with all the excitement and people. It was a little overwhelming.

"Pushing yourself like that is really dumb for their sake ya know" Sakura told her, eyes filling with tears.

Ino was startled by the expression on her face. "S-sakura-"

The girl coughed, swallowed her tears, composing herself as she looked up. "We were really worried about you for a while there." Sakura said smiling that bright obnoxious smile of hers as she wiped away the stray tear.

Damn. Leave it to forehead girl to go all sentimental on her.

"I feel like I've been through hell and a half of anbu training. I'm gonna have to pay for another uniform on top of the medical bills" Ino replied groaning. "And my hair has probably got split ends and lost it's shine too. Damn hospital shampoo"

"You nearly died, Ino!" Sakura snapped, eyes serious. "You've been in and out on consciousness for the past week. There was a stretch where we were struggling to keep your organs functioning. You were poisoned."

"Oh. Right. That." She said looking away from those accusing green eyes.

"First off, Ino pig what is wrong with you thinking that you can take on so many ninja at once? You're not some kind of super hero _Shannaro_! Second off; What were you even _thinking_ sending Shikamaru and Chouji away like that?" Sakura demanded.

Ino sighed. "Sakura, it's done. There's no use crying over spilled milk."

"And what about spilled blood?" Sakura retorted. "You were reckless! I'm not going to let this one go Ino-pig. We barely managed to save you."

"I'm not going to sit through a lecture on protocol and standards. Not from you Forehead girl" Ino retorted, trying to cross her arms and failing as she realized she could barely move. Why did everything have to hurt?

"You _will_ sit through them Ino-pig, one way or another. The council has brought up claims from the missions report. A formal hearing will be held because of this whole mission, and you, your teammates, Tsunade and even Neji will all be there."

"N-Neji?" Ino asked, startled by the notion. "Why would _he_ be there?" She asked periwinkle eyes wide.

Sakura's eyelashes flickered as she regarded her best friend with astonishment. " You don't know, do you?" She asked. The blonde was genuinely speechless, waiting for her to continue which answered the question for her. "He was part of the rescue team...in fact according to the medical report Hinata submitted-"

"We talking about the _same_ Hyuuga? One Hyuuga Neji, anbu captain and hard ass extrodinaire?"

Sakura nodded.

Ino's thunderstruck expression was genuine.

Sakura was surprised that Ino seemed shocked by the information. Sure she hadn't put the pieces together until Naruto had told her of Neji's affections but once he had mentioned it, it was impossible not to see. Anyone could see, especially given Neji's reaction and prompt rescue of her that he was in over his head for her stubborn friend though why remained a bit unclear. Then again, Ino had been unconcious for most of the portion of his timely rescue so how would she know. But Neji was hardly subtle when she talked to him at the hospital. Did she really not know?

"Neji was in an uproar about you being left. He insisted they form a team and try and find you right away. Tsunade sent him, Kakashi, Shino, Hinata, Kiba and Akamaru after you. Neji was the one who actually found you... pinned to a tree." Sakura strangled out the last words.

Neji had been the one to save her? The smell of cedar, and spruce pine...It must have been him. She had thought she'd dreamed that part. Then again she'd also thought she was dead. Black eyelashes fluttered close, much like the butterflies in her stomach, as Ino took the information and buried it deep within, close to her heart. She was a master of espionage and secrets afterall. Ino couldn't help but wonder though. How much had she been imagining things and how much had been real then? Ino knew her best friend was looking at her searching her expressions, trying to decypher what Ino really felt. _Silly forehead, unlike you I don't wear my heart on my sleeve _she thought wryly. Her feelings on the Hyuuga prodigy were her own. She had her own researching to do on the subject matter. It would only complicate things further to involve Sakura, so Ino changed subjects.

"Do we still have the knife?" Ino asked.

Sakura's eyes widened astonished.

"What? I want to keep it. It was a nice blade." Ino tried to shrug and failed, wincing. "How long am I stuck here again?"

"Ughhhh!" Sakura roared. "I cannot believe that you are so _inconsiderate_ Ino pig!" She snarled.

"Who's inconsiderate shoving that Gigantic billboard brow in my face?" Ino taunted.

"OOOooo...You don't even _realize_ how close you were! You almost died and all you care about is that stupid weapon that almost killed you and even now you're looking to get yourself back on the anbu roster and-" Sakura exploded.

Ino stopped listening to the tirade at that point, wincing as her best friend went off. She heard the knock at the door, and saw the blonde pony tails and those blazing hazel eyes.

"S-Shishou.." Sakura stammered.

"I hate to interrupt, but it is important." Tsunade said with kage authority. "O-of course Shishou." Sakura replied.

"If you'll excuse us Sakura, I have a few things to discuss with Ino about her mission." Tsunade dismissed.

Sakura nodded and stepped out, leaving Ino snickering. Tsunade's disapproving look only deepened, brows furrowed as she regarded the Yamanaka girl.

"You are fortunate you are alive, do you know that?''

"So they keep telling me." Ino said with a wave of her good hand.

"Ino, there are a few questions I have that need answers immediately." Her no nonsense tone, caught the blonde and she fixed hardened periwinkle eyes on the Godaime Hokage.

"Yes, Hokage sama." Ino replied, focused.

"You ordered Shikamaru and Chouji to return back to the village with those children, did you not?" Tsunade asked.

"Yes. I ordered them to leave and take the children to Konoha. In return for protection, they would testify to piece together the whereabouts of the abducted clan children. It was my belief that these children had important information on their whereabouts. Information that you had sent us to search for before we stumbled upon them" Ino replied testily. Why was everyone making it such a big deal?

"Why?" Tsunade asked, scrutinizing her. The Hokage wasn't asking about the children. Tsunade knew why Ino had sent the children on. She was asking why Ino made the sacrifice herself.

"Because of my team, I am the best suited for diversion and distraction. Shikamaru and Chouji were already injured and low on chakra from breaking into the compound and they needed a diversion to get past 60 jounin leveled shinobi with that many small untrained children." Ino retorted, sarcasm scathing.

"You violated your orders." Tsunade reprimanded. Ino shook her head fiercely, wincing at the pain.

"I reinterpreted them as a part of our mission. As captain, I was given that jurisdiction under the protocols of the mission. Those children were connected to the scouting mission we were on, Tsunade sama and leaving behind that much tangible evidence, and useful information, when we might not be able to trace those children again seemed stupid and careless."

"And sacrificing yourself for them seemed like a better plan?" Tsunade's voice had a timbre of amusement lurking beneath her disdain.

Ino flushed. "It seemed like a good plan at the time, and Shikamaru couldn't come up with a better one, so I made the decision."

"Regardless, Shikamaru's status as Anbu strategic operatives and clan head gives him...certain authority." Tsunade finished.

Ino's eyes widened as the information. "Is _that_ what this is about? The hearing is about Shikamaru following my orders? Ow-" Ino exclaimed.

"Ino stop moving before you hurt yourself more and listen. This is quite serious. By Konoha law, his rank is higher than yours as a clan head. His actions are scrutinized more by the other clan heads." Tsunade sighed.

"I will be a clan head eventually when my dad finally gets tired of the politics and steps down. This is absurd. Social rank has no place within the teams and on missions, and you know it." Ino retorted. "Who filed this claim?"

"It appears that the council has filed it, given the field report by one Hyuuga Neji followed by the medical report of one Haruno Sakura." Tsunade replied as she flipped through the paperwork.

"That's bullshit! He was following orders. _My_ orders." Ino snarled, and had to pause as her world spun.

"Don't overexert yourself. Those stitches-"Tsunade chided.

"Yes, Yes, _Mother" _Ino rolled her eyes.

"Your Mother has checked in on you several times now, you should know." Tsunade retorted.

"Oh Goody" Ino replied with a scowl. Tsunade let that one go.

"I need you to file a report of your own when you can get out of bed. Since your paperwork was unable to be submitted at the time the issue was filed, it will have to be added and considered during the council meeting. You will attend the hearing as will I, and we will see if we can't recover some of this mess" Tsunade sighed.

"When can I get out of here?' Ino pleaded.

"In regards to your health you will be staying at the hospital another 3 days just to monitor your vitals and make sure there is no further damage to your white blood cells. You will need to cooperate in some physical therapy for that arm, and I want you to take your recovery slowly. You are off of the roster for this next month until I am satisfied you are back in peak condition. No training this week or the next."

"But Tsunade!-" Ino protested. She had already been bed rested a week. Three weeks without training would take three months to bring back.

"-Ino, given the severity of your condition, I will take no chances. You need to ease back into training, building up slowly, and I will be monitoring your progression. You will report to me before and after those appointments, to make sure you don't ruin Sakura's good work. Do I make myself clear?" Tsunade ordered. When she had _that_ tone there was no point in arguing.

"Yes Hokage sama." Ino replied subdued.

"Good. Now get some rest. That's an order" Tsunade smiled.

…...

When she woke again, she was greeted by a different sight. Long blonde hair, characterized by a harrowed sorrow torn face. Bags were swollen beneath his eyes, that were like her own, eyes that were closed. Her father stood before her. His arm was bound, and she glanced at her own arm. He must have given her blood, as Sakura had mentioned.

"Daddy" Ino greeted. He was instantly aware, and smiled at her brightly.

"How's my little baby girl doing?" Inoichi asked her, grabbing her hand and squeezing it gently as his eyes softened crinkling at the corners of his tan skin.

"Better." She replied with a soft smile.

Her father's eyes hardened.

"Dad, stop it." Ino demanded, trying to carefully sit up. "Shikamaru did nothing, but follow my orders I had given him." Ino told him. "It was my decision, and my orders to stay behind. They were merely following what I'd told them to do. Someone had to stay to keep them from taking those kids. I volunteered myself." Ino told him.

"How could you do something so stupid? The core of our strength lies in each other, Ino. That's why you were put on a _team_. Our abilities are not designed to be of use alone." Inoichi demanded.

"No. The core of our strength lies in the will of fire, the will to protect those we love." Ino replied. "I was protecting what was mine." Ino replied icily.

"There was another way, there had to be another way. You think this was up to you, but he-" Inoichi insisted, fist clenched.

"There wasn't another way, dad. Shikamaru knew that, as did I which is why he followed it. Do you think they would have left me otherwise? I ordered him and Chouji to take the kids and go. You don't get to be mad at Shikamaru and Chouji. Nobody does. And I'm going to set anyone else straight. If you're gonna be mad at anybody, be mad at me. It was my decision to make, and I made it for the sake of the mission." Ino replied.

"Then you made the wrong choice. How could you be so foolish so as to throw yourself away like that?" Inoichi exploded, and it was clear the worry and fears he'd held for so long had just given way.

Ino sighed, waited and he sat back down again, rubbed his neck.

"That was uncalled for." He said. "Yes it was" Ino replied. "I'm sorry." He murmured.

"Are the kids alright?" Ino asked.

Her father looked at her cluelessly for a second, but his features slowly faded to a weary smile and he nodded. Realizing what she had done, he could not help but laugh. Ino did not find the humor. Inoichi merely chuckled at her look. "My my. I guess it's hard for dads to watch their little girls grow up." He said his tone trembling on the end.

His words, the words of her father broke her, the toughness she'd been hiding behind and with it came the guilt. She hadn't thought of her family as she was about to die, but on reconsidering it maybe it was because she didn't have to. They knew, they always knew where they stood with each other.

"I love you daddy." Ino confessed, feeling the tears. "Please don't be mad at me or my team for this. I made the best decision we could."

Inoichi gathered his daughter into a tight hug being careful working around the iv in her arm.

"All of the children are safe thanks to you." He replied. "Just promise me you won't do something so foolish again."

Ino nodded. "Promise me you won't be mad at Shikamaru or Chouji." Ino told him.

Inoichi scratched his head. "Dad." Ino demanded.

He sighed and nodded. Ino felt the sleep coming again and didn't fight it. "Love you..."

…...

It had been the longest most pain filled three days of Ino's entire life. After multiple healing sessions and the removal of countless bandages Ino was finally dismissed with the threat of physical therapy and regular scheduled check ups looming over her head. Getting out of that bed had taken a lot out of her. Her arm was still in a cast. She fingered the hilt of the knife with her good hand. She'd guilted Shikamaru into swiping for her, and placed it in the holster Chouji had bought for it.

She walked, more so hobbled out of the hospital her ribs still tender, the sun bright and harsher than she had remembered. She shielded her eyes from it and her gaze caught something else. The lake of Konoha gleamed bright, the surface clear. Memories, comforting memories and she knew where she needed to head. The Hyuuga compound. Ino battened down the hatches of her soul. She was clear. She had to be. Ino needed talk to Neji. She needed to know the truth. She strode with purpose out of the hospital grounds making her way slowly but steadily to the Hyuuga house.


	8. Chapter 8

Music of the update "No light, No light" Florence and the Machine

AN: Extra long update. If you're curious as to why the chapter is the way it is there's another authors note at the end.

PS. The Cake was all thanks to Nukumi, who is awesome and beta-ed for me again while I am searching for one. ::sheepish bow::

Neji eyed the cake with some confusion as to it's purpose on the Hyuuga compound. Hyuuga were not known for partaking of such saccharine frivolity, particularly without reason or celebration. Last time he had checked there were no such social functions happening any time soon for the Hyuuga, for Neji avoided them with good reason. Missions were a joy on those occasions, that he would take the full extent of the time alotted to complete the mission. Lee and TenTen were grateful for those moments as they would stop by the hot springs and would loiter around the small villages. It was the only time Neji was not strung out on flawlessly accomplishing their objectives. In truth, he valued the time as well, his teammates happiness and health just as important, if not more so than his. Pearlescent eyes returned to the cake.

"It was delivered from the lady Yamanaka san." One of the other branch members replied holding the handmade delicacy with a bright smile.

Neji glanced speculatively at the cake in question, pearlescent eyes weary. Covered in white frosting with sugar spun flowers and bright red cherries decorated on it, he had to admit it looked appetizing. Ino's mother must have made it. Gratitude for what she considered as him saving her daughter. Neji had tried to convince her otherwise, with little to no avail.

Neji rarely had the desire for sweets. It was too undisciplined of him to indulge and the feeling of the sweets afterwards usually just slowed him down. This was most definitely not a time for indulgence. He had just returned from a short mission to sand, and between Ino's recovery and the summons for the council meeting he had far too many things on his mind. All he had wanted to do was train and meditate, try to center his thoughts on anything but her blue eyes and the feel of her craddled in his arms. But wouldn't his refusal to try the cake appear rude? His brow furrowed slightly.

"Shall I slice a piece, Neji san?" The branch member had asked.

Neji continued to look at the plate. "Perhaps later." He said, turning towards the gardens.

Meditation was calling him, and he had much to contemplate as he looked over the summons papers. His footfalls made no sound as he made his way to the Hyuuga gardens, for it was here that he could truly breathe, and think. The flowers were in bloom early this spring, filling the gardens with rich smell, color and beauty. The floral scent was thick, pollen heady in the bright sunshine.

They smelled like her, and Neji closed his eyes, breathing deeply as he had sworn not to think of her, but did anyways. Neji recalled the feel of her near him, in his arms. The feeling of her life slipping away from him as he strove to save her came, as it had in his nightmares, but it did not outweigh the truth. The satisfaction, the knowledge that she would pull through. It lifted the darkest curtains from his mind. He could do nothing other than what the flowers were doing and unfold, bloom in exultation. She was alive. She would live, recover and go on to do incredible things with her life. He had snatched her from the very jaws of death, and the knowledge was so satisfying. Perhaps he would have that slice of cake after all.

His eyes opened, and he felt the summons papers in his hand returning him to the ground and the realities that came with it. He would have to show up before the council and clans because of his involvement with the mission. Neji had turned in his report shortly after talking with Sakura at Tsunade's insistence. He could not have put off the paperwork any longer. His words were nothing but the truth, what had happened on the mission. Neji could do no more, no less than be honorable.

_Then why are you feeling so heisitant?_

Neji brushed the thought aside. He did not regret being honest about the incidents leading up to the rescue. It was his duty to be truthful, and the council's duty to maintain the work of the village. He respected the council, for it was their job to ensure that missions were operating correctly. She would not have had to be in that hospital bed had the mission been operated successfully. He was doing his duty. He would protect her this time.

The words felt shaky as he thought them. Neji closed his eyes. He could not worry about the council meeting. Fate would prevail as it always did. He found solace in that thought as he isolated the sounds to focus on his breathing. He felt it. It lurked on the edges of his senses, that tickling sensation whenever she was around. Meditation could not banish it, though he had tried. It never ceased to amaze Neji. He had spent years around TenTen and even when he had been attracted to her, her chakra signature had never had this kind of effect on him. Pearlescent eyes flickered open. She was here. In the garden. With him. Pearlescent eyes flashed open, as he stood on his feet, chocolate brown hair whipping behind him as he turned to see her walking towards him. She had come in through the front door, and the attendant walking with her bowed and left.

Periwinkle eyes still shone, but she was pale, had lost weight from being in the hospital, her purple clothes looser than they should be on her petite frame. She walked with the dignity of an empress, but her expression was guarded, jaw slightly clenched, partially due to pain. There was more to that look. Her lips were pursued, as if she wrestled with herself on something. On her hip was the knife, the very knife that had pinned her, and she clenched the handle a bit too tight to be mistaken for a meaningless gesture. The look disappeared as quickly as his eyes met hers, faded into a coy smile that he recognized as her mask of confidence. Ino was a confident woman, but this was not that look, the face she gave when she was in control. It caused a sharp pang in his heart. What did she have to hide from him?

"Ino" He breathed, swallowing his heart in his throat, as he faced her.

"Neji." Ino replied, her tone warmer than her facial features as she stepped forward. The smile she wore was charming but it did not meet her eyes. Her long blonde hair in it's usual high ponytail trailing behind her. On better days, particularly in the summer it shone like spun gold. Right now however it lacked it's usual luster. The time in the hospital showed, on her body, and in her eyes. Her gait hid nothing from his sharp eyes. Her ribs must still be bothering her.

"I did not expect you so soon. Were you dismissed from the hospital or should I expect the Hokage and hospital staff shortly?" Neji teased.

The smile was faint on the corner of her lips. "I was dismissed this morning" She replied.

He had expected her then, Ino sulked. It was so hard to sneak up on a genius. She knew she wouldn't surprise him, but was her coming that predictable? And if he had expected her, then what _exactly_ was he expecting?

"May I offer you a cushion, or some tea?" Neji asked.

Ino shook her head as she looked upon the Hyuuga prodigy. He wore the flowing pants and white shirt of the Hyuuga clan appearing to have let go of his hatred long ago. Why was it that he made what should have been baggy and frumpy look delectable and regal? It was unfair that was for certain. Fate. That was what he believed in more than anything else. Ino had thought it would be...different. Certainly different than this. The butterflies in her stomach were still doing somersaults, and he was still a very attractive clan prodigy. But her agenda seemed to loom, to curdle any feelings she wanted.

This felt awkward, against the flow of things. But Ino had to know. Fate or not.

The silence felt stifling, the air hot when moments before it had felt cool and pleasant. Neji allowed for a few moments of silence, but every moment felt worse with it's passing.

"What brings you here?" Neji asked, tone much braver than he felt in her presence.

He would not permit himself to fidget, would not give his nerves a chance to ruin the moment. She was here, with him and she would tell him why she was here in her own time. He merely needed to be patient. Patience burned at the edges of his self discipline as she was so near, so close, and yet unreachable in her given state. Her eyes spoke of promise, but her body language threatened violence. She turned, breaking eye contact with him.

As she turned, those eyes sparked to life as she looked at the flowers around them. It was like sunrise, coming up from the dark, casting the shadows of sorrow away and banishing the night. Her entire demeanor lit up, changing in wonder as she took in the Hyuuga garden. "These..." her breathe caught as her hands surrounded the flowers as one might a butterfly. She delicately stroked the petals of the almond blossums wistfully.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" Neji smiled, stepping closer to her.

"I've never seen the Hyuuga gardens before. Patrons of our flower shop had mentioned their beauty, but this..." She said eyes, taking in the full beauty of the garden.

Neji's eyes never strayed from hers.

"May I?" She asked, blue eyes wide in her innocence.

Neji nodded, smiling as he watched her take in the splendor of the gardens. Black eyelashes kissed those pale cheeks as she closed her eyes to breathe in the scents of the flowers, examining the health of the plants with the delicacy of an expert.

The garden was set in a maze, but the area in which they stood was the center, a circular pavilion, columns covered with budding plant life. There was a small lake in the area to feed the large weeping willow tree that highlighted it's beauty and the surrounding flora and fauna. A stone square tile was set apart, which must have been where Neji meditated. It was peaceful as Ino listened to the trickle of a creek that fed the rest of the garden, it's sound the only other noise aside from the birds and the beetles.

Ino was enraptured by the gardens, enchanted. It was a privilege he treasured, for he had never seen such innocent joy cross her face before.

She turned to face him, and flushed while meeting his poignant gaze. Like a girl caught with her fingers in the cookie jar, her look faded, and her fists closed in what seemed a decision. Whatever it was she came for, she would address it now, and he had the sinking suspicion it would not be pleasant as he watched expression flicker across her eyes.

"Thank you, for indulging my love of plants." She said cooly almost as if she had to apologize for it. It was the closest to an apology he'd ever heard from her.

"It was my pleasure." Neji replied sincerely.

"Hyuuga san-" Ino began.

"Neji." He interrupted, feeling a slight twitch or irritation at her efforts to distance herself from him. "We have been on far too many missions together for such formality." Neji interrupted.

"Neji." Ino settled, brow furrowed as she pressed on. "I came here with a specific purpose." Ino told him.

Neji frowned slightly at the heaviness emanating from her. "And what business might that be?"

Ino took a deep breathe. "I want to know exactly what you put in your report to prompt a council meeting to occur and why you thought that was such a brilliant move?" Ino stated words sharp as a kunai thrown at him. The words were a question, but the tone was a demand, accusation with every fibre of her being. She crossed her arms, cast making the action appear cumbersome.

"What I put in my report was nothing but the truth of the matter." Neji replied, tone reprimanding.

"And what pray tell Hyuuga, is your _version_ of the truth?" Ino snapped, eyes narrowed. Her tone was chilled at best.

He was taken aback by the hostility of her words, her tone and demeanor. What was prompting the anger? Why was she so upset about a man who did not deserve her loyalty? Shikamaru needed to face up to the consequences of his actions and Neji would be damned if he did not hold him accountable. Haruno had also filed a report, her thoughts were similar to his own, in that this whole fiasco should not have happened. He would do whatever it took to ensure it did not happen again. Why couldn't she see that part of that process meant pursuing justice for the guilty involved? He would not apologize for the truth. Even though it wounded him that she did not understand it. She was worth more than that, so much more. He had thought she, of all people would understand.

"Whatever feelings you have about your team Ino, you should know that he abandoned you. He did not leave you to distract the Iwagakure ninja. He left you to die. They left you to die." Neji told her. Ino flinched. "That sort of mission against that many should have never been placed on anyone's shoulders, much less yours, given your abilities and rank." Neji told her, face pulled with concealed anger.

Ino's eyes widened feeling like he'd slapped her in the face with those words. He had insulted her team, her abilities, and rank all at once.

"It's hard to be left to die, Neji, when I specifically ordered them to leave with the children. You didn't know the perimeters of my team or the mission objectives. And I've got news for you, Hyuuga, I _volunteered_ to stay behind. You had no right to interfere. Just because you're a captain doesn't mean you can butt into other missions and take jurisdiction over how they are run. The world doesn't revolve around you" Ino snapped, boiling over.

Why was Neji choosing now, of all times to butt in? This was none of his damn business. He had no part in this mission, other than rescuing her. It wasn't that Ino wasn't grateful. Far from it. She had been resigned to her fate one way or another, whether she had lived or died. It was her choice.

But it hurt coming from him. She had thought, of all the people, Neji would understand why she had sacrificed herself for her precious people. Neji had been the product of an abusive clan system gone wrong. Ino, by saving those children had snatched them from the hands of those same scum, scum that had tried to kidnap Hinata, scum that had demanded Neji's father's life as a toll for their loss. Ino hated how clans treated their children. Her father had never been that way and it was a fact Ino was grateful for. What would have happened if Sasuke had been treated the same way? if Neji had been loved the way her father loved her? Had other Konoha ninja stepped up and placed their mission at the forefront of their duty perhaps Neji would still have a father, perhaps Sasuke would still be alive.

"I had every right, as a fellow member of Konoha and an anbu captain to write what I thought was intolerable and un-excusable, both as a man and a ninja. How could you let him manipulate you into doing that? I thought you were smarter than that" Neji retorted, arms folding as he looked upon the golden haired Yamanaka.

He had struck a nerve with her.

"Shikamaru did _NOT_ manipulate me. He also didn't abandon me. The plan was my own, and I was the one who suggested it. So if you have a problem, then the person you need to deal with is me, not Shikamaru or Chouji or the council or whatever political clan drama you're trying to start" Ino leapt to the offensive.

"He had to have manipulated for you to do something so foolish. This isn't like you, Ino. You can't tell me you honestly felt right about them leaving you, Did you?" Neji told her.

The honesty of his words, the depth of concern was too much for her. Ino couldn't handle this. Not from him. Not right now.

_He doesn't mean any of it. He's just trying to do what's right because that's the kind of person he is... a stickler to the rules._

"What about the fact that he was following _my_ orders do you not understand? I knew you were a hard ass, but I didn't think that you were hard headed, or hard of hearing as well." Ino retorted "Last time I checked no one asked you for your opinions on what you think happened during my mission. This is not your fight"

"_You_ made it my fight." Neji replied.

"This isn't any of your concern. Stop throwing your rank around where it doesn't belong!" Ino told him misinterpreting his words.

Pearlescent eyes sharpened as Neji's pride caught the better of him. She thought this was about pride? _His_ pride? Did she honestly put so little value in herself to think her life wasn't important? Least of all to_ him_? The girl was so blind.

"Belong? _Belong?_ I think you have a skewed sense of the word if you think it's with_ him_! The fact is that no matter how you spin your words, your teammate still left you in the end. It's why you won't answer my question, Ino." Neji told her. Ino said nothing, but those eyes told him he'd crossed a line.

"If you won't stand up for yourself, I will. No one in this village should ever be abandoned on a mission, whether their teammates went along with it, or not. And if it was your decision, then it was the wrong decision. I didn't think you were that kind of girl, but I guess I was wrong about you. Perhaps you should reconsider who you call a teammate before you can't live to regret it." Neji fumed.

Ino felt worse than when the dagger had hit her, ripping through her flesh and pinning her to the tree. She felt betrayed. Betrayed by the man she had thought would understand, would get her. The man she had thought was more than he seemed. How could she ever have thought Neji would see reason? They were night and day. Neji couldn't let go of his protocol. Ino couldn't abandon her teammates. The hope she had felt shriveled, withered and died.

_Stupid. What could a prodigy see in someone like you? _

Ino was the flirt the tease, the gossip. She was a pretty face, but ultimately no one wanted to settle down with a girl like that. They wanted her for a night, to have their fun with her, fulfill their fantasies. But they didn't stay. They never stayed. And really Ino should have known better than to get her hopes up. It was stupid of her. Ino was zero for three in the area of clan prodigies. Well she had finally learned her lesson and learned it the hard way. But it didn't matter. Right now, Neji was threatening her boys and she wouldn't stand for it. Ino stood by her team and she'd be damned if he thought she would stand by and let him throw her team under the bus for protocol that wasn't even legitimate.

"How dare you! I _demand_ that you take your damn report and withdraw it, immediately." Ino exclaimed.

"I refuse. I wrote exactly what I know happened. Just because you want to live in your illusions about clan prodigies, doesn't mean I will. " Neji retorted.

Those words drew blood, as Ino stepped back.

"I cannot believe that you just said that." Ino replied, swallowing the tears she felt threatening.

"I cannot believe you are defending _him_" Neji retorted.

"Of course I'm defending him. He is my teammate and my best friend. I don't turn on the people I'm supposed to protect!" Ino snapped.

Neji flinched, and missed her own shudder at the strong words.

"I will see you at the meeting" Ino turned, before he could see her tears and fled.

Neji stood alone, bereft and haunted. Trembling hands raked through brown hair as he tried to figure out what had come over him to say such things, and to _her _of all people?

* * *

><p>Kakashi sat reading his icha icha books. Sachiro was just about to confess her love for Takeda when he felt the chakra signature. One anbu captain, currently demoted vice captain trudged his way towards the copy nin. Neji generally went through the village on his way but he slowed as he neared Kakashi. The copy nin said nothing, reading his book and enjoying the cool breeze and the sunset up in the tree. It was when branch member stopped beneath the tree that he realized he was looking for him.<p>

Kakashi wasn't exactly a stellar judge of character, but the Hyuuga looked like his dog had just been kicked or something.

"Neji." Kakashi said, eyes skimming the pages of his book, hoping the prodigy wouldn't stay for long.

"I have a question to ask you." Neji said pearlescent eyes miserable.

Kakashi sighed. For the proud Hyuuga to come at all was nothing short of a miracle, but to come to someone like him for advice was surely a bad sign.

"...yes?" Kakashi replied reluctantly as he stowed his book in his jounin vest, leaping down to the ground. He was not a man without pity and hearing out his vice captain might go a long way to smooth things over between them. Hands shoved in his pockets, he waited for Neji to speak.

"It was on your first mission that you lost your teammate, Uchiha Obito correct?" Neji asked.

Kakashi's grey eye widened in surprise at the question. What would prompt the Hyuuga to throw such a curve ball?

"Why do you ask?" The lone grey eye fixed on the Hyuuga with a evaluating stare.

"I-" Neji began and stopped. "I need your help." He admitted.

"That's for certain" Kakashi muttered. "What?" Neji asked frowning at the mumbled words he could not make out.

"Nothing." Kakashi retorted with a shrug and a smile. "Yes, Obito was my teammate." Kakashi said, smile running from his face like wet paint off a canvas. The ache was still there, still acutes, as it settled.

"I'm sorry for your loss." Neji replied solemnly "I would not ask if it were not important. I read the files."

"Files?" Kakashi asked.

"Profile files. Only captains have access to them." Neji told him.

Kakashi eyed the Hyuuga skeptically. He really was a workaholic. Of course who was he to talk? The copy nin had used his sharingan to memorize those files ages ago.

"So you know my files?" Kakashi prompted.

"It said you were going to leave Rin behind but ultimately you ended up saving her. What changed your mind?" Neji asked.

Kakashi raked a hand through his mussy silver hair. So that's what this was about. He was asking in regards to Ino. That was the only reason he would be asking that made sense anyways. And if he was asking about Ino something must have happened between the two of them. Based on the missions summons in his mailbox, he had a pretty good idea of what and that it had obviously caused the controversy. Thus the kicked puppy look. "Obito did."

"How?" Neji questioned.

"By saying to me what I should have known better at the time. Obito changed my life. I taught the very same words to my team. You should go talk to Naruto. Hell, even Sai might take pity on you." Kakashi told him. "I'm useless in this area." Kakashi told him.

"Area?" Neji asked.

"Love." Kakashi replied with a forlorn look, and disappeared with a poof.

The copy nin reappeared at the headstone shoving fists in his pocket. He pulled the hitae ate hiding his sharingan up, a sign of respect for her work. He had forgotten flowers, but she knew he wouldn't remember anyways so it didn't matter. He walked to the grave stone and kneeled next to it, placing a chaste kiss on it.

"Hello Rin.." He began.

* * *

><p>Kakashi was right, though Neji would die before admitting it himself. But the advice he had given was sound. Neji needed a friend. After his talk with Ino, the world was crashing down around him. He was angry. He was hurt. He was frustrated. If there was anything he could do about it it would require him to think it out, to talk it through. Maybe it was too late. He needed someone who would listen, and his footsteps led him to the place they usually did. Uzumaki Naruto was odd comapany for sure, but when it came to matters of the heart, Neji knew he had come to the right place. He could count on the ramen crazed ninja.<p>

Neji knocked on his door. He heard a scuffle inside, could sense Haruno and the ink user within.

"Missed me! AHG- SAI! No!" Naruto's muffled voice was followed by a crash.

"Watch out!" Yamato's voice warned too late. The sound of a splash was heard and a shriek.

"IDIOTS! SHANNARO!" Sakura's voice was unmistakable and a rumble shook the apartment.

The door squeaked open. He was greeted by the emotionless root member who blocked the view of the inside as he heard further things break.

"Neji" Sai greeted plainly.

"Is Naruto here?" Neji asked.

Sai was yanked back by Sakura who's face was full of fury as she shook the ink user, black ink splattered across her vest and face. Naruto appeared nursing an arm and a black eye.

"Neji" He grinned, and the two stopped their spat as they realized who was there at Naruto's apartment. Sakura wiped her face on the towel offered by Yamanato hung back, as they talked in hushed whispers.

"This is a bad time-" Neji began.

"Nope. Not at all. Let's uh...go for a walk" Naruto said, grabbing his arm and closing the door behind him. He released his arm as he sprinted ahead. Neji shook his head, wondering what Naruto had done now to prompt such a hasty retreat, but followed after him. The whisker cheeked nin stopped at the end of the block and took up a leisurely pace.

Naruto walked, fists stuffed into his pockets as he waited for the Byakugan user to speak.

"Kakashi told me to ask you what he taught you all as geinin." Neji started.

Naruto frowned. "He taught us lots of things." He said scratching his head.

"Specifically about teammates, maybe teamwork? He inferred that you would know what I was talking about" Neji prompted.

"What made you ask about that?" Naruto replied, with a quizical look on his face.

"I was curious. I had read his files and wondered why he went back for his teammate Rin when he ordered his team otherwise." Neji replied.

"There's a lot about Kakashi that he doesn't want known. Kakashi's father ended up killing himself over a mission he failed because he saved his teammates instead. Kakashi grew up thinking that the mission was the most important thing. That was the mission that he earned his name copy ninja and sharingan Kakashi. That mission with his team seemed to have really scared him.

"So what did he teach you then?" Neji asked.

"He taught us that those who abandon our teammates are trash." Naruto replied.

_Obito had taught him those words then. Kakashi had said it had changed his life. _

Neji's eyes widened and then the expression was gone. The Hyuuga was always such a blank page. "Ah. Thank you." Neji turned, about to leave

"Woa, woa ,woa! that's not the only reason you came!" Naruto told him. More than likely he did not want to return to his apartment to face whatever he had done now, but Neji did not leave. He wanted to talk about it, unsure of what else to do.

"It's about Ino, isn't it?" Naruto elbowed him with a grin.

Neji tensed. Was it _that _obvious? Kicking himself for sharing such a secret with the loud mouthed blonde, Neji sighed. Naruto would not let up until he told him anyways, and being able to share the burden might help. It had in the past.

"I spoke to her." Neji began

"That's great, never knew you had it in you!" Naruto exclaimed clapping him hard on the back.

Neji gave him an irritated look. "It did not go well." Naruto's face fell. "Oh." He said scratching his head."Well did you apologize?" Naruto asked.

"I see no reason to." Neji bristled. He was still angry about it.

"Neji it's not that hard. When you do something girls don't like, you're supposed to-" Naruto began

"I'm not sorry for the things I said." Neji growled. well...some of the things he said anyways

"That's stupid." Naruto remarked. "How are you going to get her to like you if you are being pig headed-Oops. No pun intended" Naruto heckled.

"How easy it is to judge, when you have made so much progress with Sakura." Neji retorted, sarcasm dripping from his condescending tone.

Blue eyes hardened though the smile was still firmly in place."I have made monumental progress with Sakura, but this isn't about me, Neji. This is about you" Naruto cut him off, refusing to be distracted from the point at hand.

Neji balked, surprised by the blonde.

"Let me make this simple. Do you love her?" Naruto asked, eyes hard.

"What-" Neji protested.

"Do you love Ino?" Naruto interrupted. "Its a simple question, Neji."

_It was the most difficult question_ Neji thought but he did not say that out loud. Instead he responded with his instincts.

"As surely as I have breathe" Neji retorted, eyes narrowed at the tone.

"Then you need to protect her." He said, stabbing a finger into his chest and poking.

Neji swatted the finger off him in annoyance. Why was everyone poking him? "I saved her life." Neji retorted. What more protection could he possibly offer than that?

"That's not what I'm talking about! Did you ever wonder why I fought so hard for Sasuke? What that really meant? I mean sure, Sasuke was my brother, and my rival and my teammate. I'd like to think that's what teammates should do for each other." Naruto said with a shrug.

As if chasing after an s class ninja around the world and defending him from kages, and various other factions trying to end the uchiha heir for most of the blonde's life had been nothing special. Neji shook his head. Sasuke was long gone from this world, but maybe in the end he had come to understand the sacrifice his two teammates had made for him.

"But even if he had been none of those things, I realized that I still would have fought for him." Naruto said.

"Why?"

"Because Sakura did."

"I don't understand." Neji replied.

Naruto fell.

"AHG! You're the genius with the kekkei genkai and you can't figure it out?" Naruto exclaimed arms waving.

The dangerous ki radiating off the Byakugan user forced Naruto into a more serious mood, wiping the sweat from his brow with a half hearted chuckle. "Ehehehe" He said, resting his hands on the back of his head nervously.

"Tell me." Neji demanded.

Naruto sighed and scratched his head. He asked for it after all. With a shrug he took a breathe. Determination rose in those blue eyes.

"You love her, everything about her, right?" Naruto questioned. From the expression on his face Naruto had been hanging out with Lee and Gai far too much. The Byakugan user made a mental note to do something about that later.

Neji nodded.

"Then this is a no brainer. She is choosing to fight for something, even if it means fighting _you_ for it." Naruto said.

"But she doesn't realize-" Neji began.

"Oh she realizes alright. Girls _always_ realize. Ino is anything but dumb. Frankly she scares the hell out of me, so good luck, Neji, but here's the thing." Naruto paused. Neji would have retorted the same about Haruno but the look he gave silenced any banter Neji might have offered. His blue eyes met Neji's pearlescent eyes.

"You need to decide what is more important to you." Naruto told him. "It turns out that what Sakura wanted to protect was more important than what I did because Sakura was willing to put her life on the line for him. And I realized what she valued had to _become_ what I valued, if I was going to have a chance to make this work. I also realized that I had to be strong to protect her, because what she valued threatened what I valued. Sasuke was my rival, but he became my brother after that. And in the end I became a better person because of Sakura chan and well, because I'm the number one most unpredictable ninja. I still fought for Sasuke, to the very end." Naruto said, blue eyes haunting as they remembered Sasuke's death.

"But she-" Neji began.

"No buts, Neji. You can't pick and choose what you like and what you don't. Either she's worth it, or she's not. That's how love works. Her battles_ are_ your battles. There is no side. " Naruto replied.

Neji's brow furrowed.

"If it helps, maybe you should just ask her yourself what she's fighting for" Naruto said.

Neji frowned. "I know why she's doing it." He said, as he thought dark thoughts of the shadow user Nara.

"Do you? You sure you're not just assuming-" Neji's look stopped what he was going to say. Naruto wasn't one to be careful with his words, except around Neji.

"It couldn't hurt to ask." Naruto replied with a shrug.

"She would never tell me, even if I did." Neji sighed running his hand over his hitae-ate.

"Well then figure it out. You're the genius." Naruto replied. Haruno appeared, Sai following and Yamato. She waved to Naruto.

"Gotta go and make my own dreams come true. You'll figure it out Neji. I know you will, Dattebayo" Naruto replied giving him a thumbs up, before walking off leaving Neji to contemplate the blonde kage to be's words. Pearlescent eyes flashed with an idea, and he disappeared.

…...

AN: I could not force Neji and Ino to do what they were _supposed_ to do, no matter how many rewrites I tried. I was forced to follow their lead in this chapter. I am quite vexed at these two, but I will not be outdone! My plot bunnies have regrouped for a counter attack and we have a plan! Stay tuned for the next few chapters as it will be a roller coaster!


	9. Chapter 9

AN: Inspired heavily from military court cases. Thanks to my newest boyfriend who has no idea why I'm asking so many military questions of his time in the service of the marines. LOL

Music of the update "Cosmic love" Florence and the machine, "Ships in the night" Matt Kearney, "Set Fire to the Rain" Adele

Neji made his way to the park his head spinning with the things Naruto had said. The ramen loving blonde was right, much to the Byakugan user's chagrin. The rescued children would be present at the park. If he was going to discover why Ino did was she did, or at least confirm his suspicions on the subject matter, the logical conclusion was going back to the source. Ino had saved those children. They would know probably better than anyone or atleast confirm what he already thought he knew. It was worth investigating.

Neji watched, dismayed as the children stood around the playground unsure of what to do though there was no shortage of toys or play structures provided. These were children that had seen things long before it was their time to. The children of ninja were never innocent, this Neji knew as he knew from his own experiences, but these children didn't even have that. Konoha ninja were never forced into the life. What use could tortured children have for playing after living through such hell? The choice to be a weapon was never theirs to make. His eyes took in the chakra of one Pineapple haired shadow user, and the red maned Akimichi. On the perimeters were Iruka and a few other chuunin instructors keeping watch. Shikamaru and Chouji were attempting to play with the children with little success.

Sixty pairs of eyes turned as they watched Neji come forward. The children were intensely aware of their surroundings a fact that dismayed him further. There was confusion as to his presence and even the unmistakable look of fear. Neji saw this, and forced the tension from his frame, let the smile come to his face, easing the mood from the majority, except for one particular child, brown eyes taking in every movement in suspicion. He kept that child in the corner of his vision, as the child moved to do the same. Neji was amused by the notion, but the child was only visibly agitated, crossing his arms.

The children walked away from the two anbu members and Neji walked nearer. Shikamaru scowled as he looked at the proud Hyuuga but could do little else as the anbu captain took in the surroundings and strode towards the children with confidence.

"Hello." He offered. "I am Hyuuga Neji of the branch clan. What are your names?" He asked.

The children inspected his gear professionally, each looking at crucial areas for concealed weapons. They already had excellent eyes for it, lingering on the areas even his enemies had not guessed that he had hidden ammunition. "Anbu." One of the children murmured.

"Like her." Another whispered as they all exchanged various looks and murmurs.

There could be only one her for these children, and the thought panged painfully in Neji's mind and reminded him of his purpose in coming here.

The brown eyed child came forward from the crowd, pushing the others out of the way. "Is it true?" He demanded, hands on his hips as he stared without fear into those pearlescent eyes. His subordinates had cowered at less than the look Neji gave this child. He was fearless, immune to it as he stared the anbu captain down.

"Is what true?" Neji asked, choosing to address the situation carefully, though truthfully he was astonished by the boldness of the child.

"Did you save her?" He asked unrepentantly and without faltering.

"I asked you something first." Neji retorted. The pause was long enough to let Neji know that he would not be bossed around, but Neji was tenacious in his own right. He would not give the answer without knowing the child's name. The Byakugan user had a feeling it would come in handy. "Hachurou." The child replied gruffly.

"I'm sorry, I did not hear you." Neji replied, crossing his arms.

"Hachurou. Stop avoiding my question. Is it true?" Hachurou repeated hastily.

"Is what true, Hachurou?" Neji asked, eying him. Hachurou glowered at the older adult as if annoyed at having to spell out something so obvious.

"Did you save Yamanaka Ino?" Hachurou insisted. This precocious child was openly giving him attitude. Neji tried to hide the smile.

"Yes." Neji replied. "I was a part of the team that found Yamanaka san."

Hachurou took the information in stride, brown eyes processing the information and sizing up Neji in the process.

Neji sighed and saw the little girl eying his kunai pouch. Neji opened the pouch slowly, as the children flinched, some moving. Their reflexes were sharp. He held out the kunai to the little girl.

"Would you like to hold it?"

The little girl looked into his eyes and saw no malice. She reached heisitantly for the kunai and fingered it, eyes wide as she held it, even taking a few practice swipes with it.

"Here." He corrected before he had thought it through. "Hold it this way" He showed her with the swipe. "Plant your feet. Otherwise you will loose momentum when you swing."

Children around him also mimicked the motions. Neji was surprised, but with a shake of his head, he opened up the pouch of weaponry and handed them out among the children. He went around, and began to run through a few basic exercises with kunai and senbon.

"Should we stop him?" Iruka asked Shikamaru coming up along side the shadow user.

Dark eyes accessed the children. "No." He said firmly with a sigh as he pulled out a cigarette and lit up. "It seems that he is giving them exactly what they needed." He said with a frustrated rake through his pineapple shaped hair. Why hadn't he thought of this? Irritated that he was again being bested by the Hyuuga, Shikamaru took another deep drag.

"Nara?" Iruka asked. Shikamaru exhaled smoke.

"What use do soldiers have for toys, Iruka sensei?" He said, finishing the cigarette and crushing it beneath his boot. The Nara made his way towards Neji with more determination than he felt.

"Nara." Neji's greeting was terse but cordial as Neji tried to remember Naruto's words. These were her teammates, and Ino was choosing to defend them. _Her battles are your battles._

"Neji. This certainly is a surprise. Aside from equipping small children with weapons, what brings you here?" Shikamaru asked suspicion in his sharp black eyes. As Neji took a closer look he realized that Shikamaru's eye was purple and swollen.

"Who gave you that?" Neji asked, brow furrowed.

Shikamaru sighed. Did he want to tell Neji anything? not particularly but he did not have a choice in this matter.

"Come. Let's talk" Shikamaru invited.

Neji's eyebrow arched in question, but followed after the shadow user. Neji could feel those brown eyes still on his back as he walked with the Nara clan head. There was something familiar about that child. Neji could not put his finger on what though.

"Inoichi Yamanaka is not a soft spoken man." Shikamaru finally said.

Neji fought the grin that threatened as he thought about the tall Yamanaka and how he would react at discovering his daughter in the condition she was. The Nara was lucky that was all he had to show for the encounter. Shikamaru could tell from the expression on the proud Hyuuga's face and merely shrugged.

"It was nothing I didn't deserve." He admitted, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"True." Neji conceded "But you might want to see a medic nin. Think of what the village will say of the Nara clan."

Shikamaru looked to see if the comment was meant to be sinister, but the cool look on the Hyuuga face put that to rest. Neji wanted to talk.

"Nah. She already tried to and I refused. Its a reminder." Shikamaru said. There was no question as to who they were talking about. Neji waited as the shadow user struggled for words.

"I know what you said to her. And if I didn't already owe you so much for bringing her back alive, I would hit you myself." He said, black eyes narrowing.

Neji nodded. "I should not have said all of the things I said to her."

Shikamaru sighed. It was the closest the proud Hyuuga would get to admitting he was wrong. In that, Neji and Ino would have an interesting time. Shikamaru scoffed at his own thoughts. He was already willing to surrender her to him? Chee.

"Maybe I'm not the one you should be having this conversation with" Shikamaru's tone was fighting to be nuetral. It was more credit than Neji would have given the lazy Nara. Had he been in his shoes, he might not have been as accommodating.

"I'm surprised I've lasted this long with your devotion to her." Neji stated boldly. The Hyuuga was _complimenting_ them? Chouji gave him a bewildered look. This was certainly a new side to the branch member.

Shikamaru sighed. It was long past time to be honest and he knew the both of them were too troublesome to ask the right questions to each other. Stubborn. It made the corners of his mouth twitch, the same desire for a cigarette itching but he would not light up in front of these children. He owed her this. He probably owed Neji this too, if he really thought about it. It was time to tell him the truth.

"Ino...Ino and I will never work out." He confessed as he thought of his blonde teammate the memories that poured out like blood. _She's my best friend. We've known each other since childhood. She's too close. She's my troublesome teammate. I could never jeopardize that. _

"You say those things, and yet you don't seem to believe them." Neji retorted arms crossed.

"I believe them." Shikamaru swallowed his resignation, his pride. "Shikaku and Inoichi confirmed as much on our last encounter."

Neji took a sharp breathe. Inoichi had refused Shikamaru to marry his daughter? Shikaku Nara was against the union?This changed everything.

"Neji, if Ino is just another trophy for you to rub it in the faces of the Hyuuga, then-" Chouji began.

"I assure you she is not a political ploy for me." Neji interrupted, meeting his own look unblinking.

"Then what is she to you?" Chouji asked fists clenched.

"Everything" Neji replied simply pearlescent eyes clear meeting his gaze head on.

Pretty words. But Shikamaru couldn't let it be. He needed to know. Needed to protect her.

"Then why did you talk to her the way you did?" Shikamaru asked. Just because he wasn't going to persue Ino didn't mean he would give her up to just anyone. Ino was _theirs,_ property of team ten.

"Because I misunderstood her. Because I let my emotions get the better of me. It was wrong. I know that now. No words of mine will prove this to you. I want you to know that I'm going to make ammends, the best way I know how." Neji said.

Shikamaru had nothing to say to that, because the look the Hyuuga wore was one of utmost confidence and devotion, the same kind of devotion to his missions, his work ethic. Neji had done what he said he would do. He had brought Ino back from an impossible circumstance. It had been close but he had still succeeded. The look he gave, Shikamaru wondered _but what does he mean?_

The Hyuuga nodded in dismissal, and headed towards the children leaving Shikamaru and Chouji speechless as they exchanged confused glances.

"Do you think he means it?" Chouji asked.

"I don't know.." Shikamaru replied with a shrug. He had quite a bit of thinking to do.

"Guess we'll find out." Chouji harumphed. "Guess so" Shikamaru said.

…...

"This council will come to order" Homura stated as the involved parties took a seat at their respective tables. Tsunade sat with the elders to her right and left, hand folded pressed against her lips as she watched the events unfold. Ultimately she would have the last say, but not before they went through the politics and formalities. She needed to hear from all the parties involved before she could make a decision, but she also knew the decision the elders were pressing on her.

InoShikaChou all sat together, Ino's hand interlaced in Shikamaru's and Chouji's as she fixed a hardened periwinkle stare upon the elders.

Neji sat on the other side, with Kakashi, both tables facing the elders as they were a part of the issue being addressed.

Members and representations of each of the major clans involved were present but on the outside tiers of the tables in a half circle all facing the council, a quiet audience to witness. Hiashi was present, Hanabi seated alongside him as well as a few of the branch members of the house. Shikaku and Yoshino, Inoichi and his wife, Chouza and the Akimichi clan were all well represented. The Aburame clan and the Inuzuka clan were accounted for with their involvement in the mission. Sakura had shown up, seated next to Naruto and Sai but it seemed they would be witnesses given their seating. Kiba, Hinata, and Shino sat near them in the witness section with Akamaru curled up. Kiba stroked his back soothingly. Gai, Lee and Tenten were not allowed to be at the meeting, but were waiting outside.

Tsunade sat resplendent in her hokage hat, a rare thing for her to wear, but formality in this case, demanded it. It would remind those of her authority in this matter.

"It has come to the council's attention that the scouting mission to Iwagakure carried out by Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara and Chouji Akimichi was ruled completed according to the paperwork and by the return of the team. In returning, Fifty Five children bearing kekkei genkai were also brought to the village with information on the abduction of clan children from leaf. This hearing has been called to contest the manner in which this mission was carried out. This will be evaluated today by the elders and the Godaime Hokage herself." Homura paused, and everyone gave a bow to the Hokage who stood briefly and then returned to her seat.

"We will hear the charges" Komura stated.

"A formal complaint of dereliction of duty has been filed by one Haruno Sakura jounin medic and one Hyuuga Neji anbu captain in the standard procedures against one Nara Shikamaru head of the Nara clan." Koharu stated.

Ino's lip curled.

Neji sighed as he looked at her expression. The cold stare spoke more than words could.

"The council calls Nara Shikamaru to stand."

Dark black eyes peered at the Hyuuga, but Neji did not move or flinch. The shadow user shrugged, dug his fingers into his pockets and began to testify about the mission.

Neji watched him as he recalled the incident, repeating the same words he had spoken over and over again. The protectiveness in him made him want to recoil at the words the pineapple haired ninja spoke, sentencing Ino to the pain she suffered, nearly death by his carelessness. But this was not helping to focus on that. _Her battles are your battles_ he reminded himself sharply. And so he tried to imagine if TenTen had been in the same place. She would have insisted the same thing of his own team, and yet she could hold her own. Why was Ino different? It wasn't that Ino was weak, far from it. Something in him blanched at the thought of her being the sacrifice.

"The council calls Akimichi Chouji to stand"

Chouji began to speak, recounting his own memory of the mission, and Neji mulled over the question further as the Akimichi continued.

Why was this such an issue for the blonde? Why would she put her life on the line so blatantly? She didn't have to. Ino had chosen to. The proud Yamanaka had declared as much to him, even if the exchange hadn't been pleasant, she had been speaking the truth, or what she thought was the truth which was tantamount to the same thing, in this case. There had to be more to it than just her teammates, though that would have been enough for anyone else. Naruto had told him to find out the truth and in order to do that he needed to digest the information.

"The council calls Aburame Shino to stand."

That was surprising. The dark ninja had very little to say in the matters, merely confirming what had been presented.

Neji returned to the thought at hand. Ino was not like most kunoichi, or most ninja for that matter. She did not do things in halves, and the things she did, she did because she truly believed in them, for better or worse. She lived her life by a code only she could know, but she was not shallow, or amoral as he had once assumed. Neji had discovered the complexity to her character and it was that depth that baffled him now. Why would she do something like this, then?

"The council calls Hatake Kakashi to stand."

Kakashi sauntered up to the elders and gave the exact summary he had submitted into his report. This came as no surprise to Neji. He would stand by his words.

"The council calls Hyuuga Hinata to stand" This was a surprising move by the council and Neji wondered if they were trying to get at something by using Hinata. Only time would tell.

Hinata shared her witness of what she recalled but the elders surprised him, by interrupting her.

"To your limited knowledge, was Yamanaka Ino in danger of her life when you discovered her?"

Hinata looked thunderstruck by the question. "A-ano...s-she needed m-medical attention." She replied meekly with a glance at her cousin.

Kiba was not called to give an account much to his fury. Hinata and Shino both shushed him before the elders demanded he wait outside. Too late. The Inuzuka after a rather embarrassing display of temper, threw his chair and stormed out. After a stream of expletives from his part and the murmurs of other clans, things settled down.

Hinata returned to her seat, and Neji fully expected them to call up Ino to bear her own version of the tale.

Neji was wrong. "The council calls Haruno Sakura to the stand."

"Wait-" Chouji interrupted, confused.

"Objection!" Shikamaru's voice rang out clearly. "Ino is a member of team ten, and the forefront leader of this mission. Why is she not being called to witness?" He said, standing.

Ino hissed at him to sit down, until she got one look from those dark penetrating black eyes. She was no longer talking to her childhood friend and teammate in that moment. In front of her stood the Nara clan head, someone foreign and unfamiliar. It appeared that Shikmaru had grown up with a vengeance. And she realized distinctly in that moment that something had been lost, forever. It left, fleeting and she could not pause long enough to miss it.

"She followed through on her own orders, orders given out of rank due to her station. This is a breach of mission protocol. Her account is therefore mute to hear. It would not address the issues that have been presented by such medical specialists as the hokage's apprentice Haruno Sakura and anbu captain Hyuuga Neji." Komura said.

Ino felt the blow like a slap in the face. Higher authorities had come to play, and her own account was insignificant in the present company. Stunned, she sat silent. Shikamaru's face was pained, as was Chouji's as they took her hand, squeezing it hard. Ino swallowed her anger, lifting her chin defiantly as she glowered up at the elders. She would keep her head and keep it held defiantly high, just to spite them.

Sakura recounted what she had experienced upon finding Ino, the various wounds and injuries, leaving no detail unscathed, but painting a painfully accurate picture of her medical condition. It had not been pretty, and had been rather close. Ino's nails scratched into her leg as she fought for composure.

Ino could not fault her best friend for doing what she thought was right. She could, however, with impunity, fault billboard brow for being wrong about this one. It was a tear in their friendship that had long been fraying. Ino was not close enough to her any longer to feel betrayal, only remorse for the pinkette.

Perwinkle hardened to steel as she N eji was called to stand. This was closer to home, the wounds fresh and still scabbing over from his most recent betrayal. Her jaw clenched. _He'll crucify me. Me and anyone else that gets in the way of his beloved protocol. Team ten might be disbanded based on his words. _

Neji stood in front of the elders, all eyes on him. His words would be the deciding factor here.

He looked at Ino, defiant to the end. And remembered all those years ago, what he had thought of her. She had been a fan girl, someone who claimed to be in love with Sasuke. He had thought her selfish, vain, worthless. A Sasuke fan girl, a silly girl, and nothing more. He had been so wrong about her. She was beautiful, inside and out, proud, and far from worthless. She was selfless always giving, regardless of the cost. And suddenly it hit him, like a flash of lightning. All the pieces brought together. Ino's actions. Hachurou's attitude and expressions. Ino's desire to protect. Sasuke. She did not want those children to end up like him. That was why she had risked everything. Why she was doing it even now. To protect Shikamaru. To protect Chouji. To protect those children. Ino would not cave on her convictions, even if it meant she had to go down with the ship. Her actions had shown that, time and time again. Vision swaying, Neji coughed, and swallowed, the realization overwhelming.

"Neji, we would hear your report." Komaru stated, impatient.

Neji licked his lips, nervous. It was a feeling he was unused to. He summoned his courage. She had done no less. Neither could he.

"I, Hyuuga Neji, Anbu captain and vice captain of the retrieval team, would like to recant my formal complaint from the records of this hearing." He said looking straight into the eyes of the elders.

Murmurs of shock rippled through the crowd, Ino's eyes wide. Shikamaru and Chouji exchanged troubled glances, but Ino ignored them, hands on the table as she leaned forward. . Was. He._ pulling_ here?

"I must admit Hyuuga Neji this comes as quite a shock. Why withdraw the report that you yourself submitted for this hearing?" Homura asked, the question Ino's mind echoed.

"A dereliction of mission protocol was committed, but it was not Yamanaka san who did so. We are taught as people of the will of fire, to protect that which is most precious. Yamanaka san was courageous in following that edict, to protect her teammates and those children even if it meant certain death." Neji confessed, pearlescent eyes soft as he looked at Ino. " She took her mission seriously. I entered into the mission, nearly jeopardizing the success of the retrieval, by committing a lesson I had learned to never do as a geinin. Therefore the paperwork I submitted was subjective to my emotional status, not as an anbu captain. I take full responsibility for my actions, and would like my report stricken from the record."

"Emotional status? What emotional status do you refer to Hyuuga?" Komura asked.

"A ninja should never show emotion. My report was flawed and my actions on this mission could have jeopardized her retrieval." Neji replied.

The silence was baffling, oppressive as Neji bowed, and returned to his seat. The council looked to each other sharing understanding in their glances. Tsunade nodded to whatever agreement they had made.

"Due to this news presented, the council meeting with adjourn in a half hour with a verdict." Homura stated.

Crowds surged around the group at they exited. Kakashi placed a hand on Neji's shoulder as Ino and the rest of team ten headed immediately out. Neji sighed and turned to face the grey haired sharingan user.

"I'm proud of you. That took a lot to do." Kakashi told him.

Neji nodded, appreciating the older man's words, but wanting to go find Ino.

"Wow Neji, you really threw yourself under the bus there." Naruto clapped him on the back.

"I thought we were on the same page, Neji-" Sakura began, pink brows drawn in angry lines across her forehead.

Neji definitely did not want to deal with Haruno right now. All he wanted to do was get to Ino. To talk to her. To explain.

Excuse me." Neji interrupted pushing past team seven. Hiashi stood at the door, blocking his way brow furrowed.

"Uncle" Neji greeted tersely. "Please excuse me. I need to get by"

"No. There is no excuse for what you have done. You have other matters to attend to. Come. We have much to discuss." He said in no uncertain tone.

Neji grit his teeth. There was no option. He followed after his uncle, cowed.


	10. Chapter 10

AN: This chapter gave me no end of headaches. I rewrote it atleast 4 times with no success which is why I have not updated for so long. It's like my plot bunny river dried up, or froze. Inspiration has just not been hitting. And then Indigo yamanaka reviewed and said such nice things. Her review and some awesome Florence and the machine revived my plot bunnies enough to try to tinker with the chapter. And ladies and gentlemen lighting struck. It was like the dam broke and I got this.

I am quite content with it and its far superior to the other four worthless endings I had chunks written of. I have loved preference, every twist and turn, and loved writing for the Neji Ino community. Hopefully the plot bunnies will give me more success in the future. Review and tell me what you think.

Special thanks to Nukumi for being a fill in beta.

Music of the Update: "Can't hold us down" Macklemore "Sweet Nothing" Calvin Harris ft Florence

The aura radiating off of Hiashi's frame echoed louder than words could but he would not spare them this time. The tension started at his neck, fury contained tightly in his shoulders, and coiled in his frame waiting to strike. The tightness around his eyes, the dark stains from disdain and hierarchy were etched on his face, the pressure was clear. Brows furrowed even deeper than usual, for Hiashi always had a seriousness about him, but this went beyond his normal countenance. Neji who had weathered many a storm amongst the Hyuuga clan head, found his motives in question.

"Tell me Nephew why you thought it such a good idea to publicly _shame_ the Hyuuga clan?" Hiashi demanded.

The lines of hatred and tension weighed his entire face down. How deep did those lines run? Neji wondered. _Deeper than blood_, his thoughts answered as he thought of his father.

He swallowed as he took in the words, the pit in his stomach dropping. "I did not think-"

"No, of course you did not." Hiashi interrupted, pearlescent eyes hard and accusing. "Your efforts to embarrass the Hyuuga clan have been long documented nephew, first at the chuunin exams. I had thought you had outgrown such pettiness, but _this_. This is betrayal."

Those words drew blood as Neji flinched.

"This is absurd. This matter could have been settled privately, but you practically paraded your carelessness in front of every clan in the village. And what do you suppose they will say of the Hyuuga clan after this debacle?" Hiashi demanded.

The color drained from Neji's face.

"Did you even think that far? And all for some half rate ninja and a pretty face-"

It was this statement that gave Neji the courage to speak.

"No. You've misunderstood!" Neji insisted. "This isn't about the clan. It isn't about her." Neji replied, fists clenched.

Haughty eyes told him otherwise.

"How could it not be?" Hiashi retorted. "You practically claimed as much in the council meeting. Is she pregnant? Have you fathered some bastard child? Is that your excuse for this outrageous display-"

"No!" Neji exclaimed, horrified."How could you think I would do something so shameful?"

Hiashi stared at him in contempt."How could I think that? Do you honestly have to ask such an insolent question at your actions?You have sullied the Hyuuga name, even if it is only the Branch house, and for what? To defend a man who needed to be punished for his poor decisions, and to spare the hurt feelings of some little tart-"

Neji saw red in that moment. "You will not speak of her like that ever again, in my presence, uncle. She had nothing to do with this. It was _my_ fault." Neji replied through clenched teeth. He stepped forward, getting into his uncle's face.

"Yes, nephew. You have said as much to everyone and anyone that would hear you." Hiashi replied scathingly.

"Are we not a clan of honor? It was my mistake. I was taught to take responsibility for _my_ faults." Neji threw the insult at Hiashi like a kunai as he turned from him.

Pearlescent eyes widened and narrowed.

"And yet you did not consider how your faults would reflect on your own clan. Just like your father!" Hiashi yelled.

"Then I too will bear the weight of my decisions." Neji replied, crossing his arms.

"Yes Neji, you will bear the _full _weight of this decision, nephew. It will be on your own, without the support of the clan. You will learn that you cannot act so selfishly without consequence. You will learn that your fate is tied to that of others in this clan, whether you like it, or not." Hiashi's words hung in the air like an ill omen. "And I am afraid, nephew, that it will be a rather _painful_ lesson for you." Hiashi threatened, walking away in disgust and anger.

Hinata's eyes met Neji's own from across the courtyard, as a bird flew from the trees as Hiashi stormed away from Neji. Excusing herself, she left Kiba and Shino's side and walked towards him. It did not take long for Hiashi's long strides to reach her. He exchanged harsh words with her from the looks of it. Hinata shook her head, and whatever she had said only irritated him further. Hiashi left, Hanabi trailing behind him, confused as her father grabbed her hand, forcing her along.

Neji scowled, his fist slamming into the trunk of a tree. He hated that Hiashi could rile him. Would his father have been proud of him, or ashamed of him in this moment? Neji could not know. Years of trying to become a genius, to be more than just a Branch member of the Hyuuga weighed on him. It seemed that no matter what he accomplished, Neji would never be free. Whatever Hiashi meant to do would be a blow to him personally. Which would be much worse than the curse.

"Neji Nii-san." Hinata greeted. She looked lovely today, lavender kimono matching her hair which had been put up elegantly.

"Hinata sama" Neji replied distracted.

Neji took a deep cleansing breathe and recognized the feeling for what it was deep within. Guilt. And if there was guilt then it meant there was some truth to the poison Hiashi had spread. He had not considered the Hyuuga clan in his reckless declaration. He should not have been so hasty. But Ino couldn't even defend herself. Perhaps Naruto had been right. He had thrown himself, but also the clan's name under the bus with his impetuousness.

"I-I am sorry." Hinata confessed, biting her lip as she placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

Neji looked up, startled. "Why? You did nothing wrong, Hinata sama." What did she have to even be sorry for?

"I-I should have said more." Hinata replied feeling the shame. He was her cousin. Neji had been far more of a family member to her than her own. She owed him so much already.

"It's not your fault. It's mine. This is mine to bear" Neji replied.

Hinata gave him a sad smile. "You w-were very brave, Nii- san. What's done in love will not be in vain. Father will come around, and She will see that in the end." She encouraged.

Leave it to Hinata to try and think positively over this. The girl made positive thinking an art form. Then again with someone like Hiashi as her father, she had to. How someone so gentle had come from a man so cold, Neji would never understand. He watched as Hinata walked back over to a grumbling Kiba, scratching the ears of Akamaru and consoling the irate Inuzuka. She really was kind. The bell rang to summon them back in.

…...

Ino fumed as she paced, restless. A million things were swirling through her head, mostly centered on one hard ass Hyuuga captain. Why would he _do _something like that? What mental gaskets had he blown to make him say what he did? Though tempted to read his thoughts, she didn't dare use her family jutsu here. Ino scowled. She wasn't _that _desperate was she? Of course not. She didn't think he was prone to acts of bipolar fashion, but in this case what else was she to think? What kind of a game was he playing?

"Stop fretting." Shikamaru told her, hand steady as he lit up. Ino promptly plucked it from his mouth and ground it maliciously beneath her boot, in indignant contempt.

"We're not five anymore. Don't tell me what to do, Shika. None of this makes sense. What could that asshole be up to?" She practically growled.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes as she continued to pace, and reached for another cigarette. She quirked steel blue eyes at him, and he sighed, the package disappearing into his pocket. Raking a frustrated hand through black spiky hair, he looked back at her. She still limped a bit, the physical therapy would start after the hearing hopefully helping her to repair some of that damage. He could tell the tenderness in her ribs as she moved. She might always have those wounds, or at least phantom symptoms. She would be able to feel a storm coming with her extensive injuries. Why couldn't she sense it now? For someone with such incredible feminine intuition, and an intimate knowledge of the human mind, she was acting like an idiot.

"Maybe he isn't up to anything." Chouji offered. Shikamaru had never appreciated his teammate more. If anyone could talk some sense into her, it would be the gentle Akimichi.

"You don't know him" Ino retorted.

"And you do?" Shikamaru asked. He was startled by the amount of animosity in the blonde's tone.

"_I thought I did_" She muttered, not quiet enough, as he could hear her.

"Listen Ino, I talked to Neji yesterday. He said he was sorry." Shikamaru shrugged.

"How lovely that he came to _you_ to apologize. Sorry doesn't cut it, Shika-" Ino began, ready to go off on one of her rants against the universe. Shikamaru would have none of it.

"-Stop being a pain in the ass and _listen_." Shikamaru ordered.

The blonde stopped in her tracks, the look she gave him foreign. Ino was not used to him being authoritative. She was right. They weren't five anymore. "Neji actually said to me that there were no words to say how sorry he was,but that he would prove it. I didn't understand it then, but then you saw what he did today." Shikamaru said.

Ino stopped in her well treaded path. "Why didn't you mention this?!" She demanded, grabbing his jacket and shaking him. Shikamaru grabbed her hand, removing it from his jacket. When they were younger she could get away with bossing Chouji and him around. No longer.

"Oye. It didn't come up. I wasn't sure what he meant then." Shikamaru replied, scratching his neck.

"It doesn't matter. He's trying something. We'll have to be on our guard for what comes next" Ino returned to her pacing.

"Ino, give it a rest already." Chouji told her. Ino snarled in reply, as she paced on.

"The world isn't out to get you, you know? The least you could do is summon a little gratitude. Neji just gave himself up, for _you._ Don't you think you're being a little too critical?" Shikamaru replied surprising himself by defending the Hyuuga captain. It irritated him that she was being this dense.

"Ugh. Who's side are you on Shika?" Ino exclaimed.

"I'm not on _any_ side. There are no sides when it comes to the village or the clans" He replied as if the fact should have been obvious.

"We both _know_ that's not true." Ino snapped back. Black eyes showed the hurt he tried to hide.

"This is so troublesome. Do you always have to be such a pain in the ass, Ino? It wouldn't hurt you to be a little grateful is all I'm saying. You know, tell him thank you. He did risk his life to save you, you know?" Shikamaru retorted.

Ino sighed. Yeah okay maybe she was being a little childish about it, maybe a little paranoid too. But what else could he have meant by that kind of display? What else was she to conclude? In truth she felt a little bit vulnerable, and it made her edgy which made her double her guard. She had to plan for the worst. Because to assume otherwise would mean something else entirely. And she wasn't ready to hear that. Not from him. Not from anyone. Because it wasn't true. Because he'd already made it pretty damn clear that wasn't what he wanted. Not from her. Not from anyone it seemed.

"Whatever" Ino scowled, storming off towards the hall. Her eyes caught Neji's form, as he heard the summons.

Those eyes were clouded, anger apparent as he made his way back into the building and the tension in his frame. Ino scowled, ignoring him, head held high, as she made her way back inside.

"This council will come to order." Komura stated. "We have heard the testimonies by given witnesses in the field and the village and Godaime Hokage have reached a verdict."

Ino and Neji both held their breath, anxious.

"We have found Shikamaru Nara, Innocent of dereliction of duty in the case of the mission to Iwagakure."

Cheers errupted in the room as Ino squeezed his hand.

"There will be order in this hearing! The council has no other choice but to open a new case against one anbu captain, Hyuuga Neji"

"_What?_" Ino demanded and clapped a hand over her mouth. The momentary lapse was overlooked as the crowd murmured. Shikamaru did not miss it. Ino sat, torn by the conclusions. Her hands did not move, but her calves tensed beneath the table.

"We find Hyuuga Neji guilty of falsification of mission documents by his own admonition, an offense against the village of Konoha. He will be forth rite stripped of his Anbu captain rank and pay. He will still take part anbu missions, but it is the council's will that he be transferred to a different squadron under supervision and submit regular reports."

Neji flinched, His body rippled, as the words overtook him. Stripped of Anbu captain rank. He had worked his entire life to prove that he was more than just a branch member, more than just a slave or a second rank ninja. He stood still as stone as they ripped the captain's armband from him and took away his life's accomplishment. Feathers fell as the sparrow hit the ground. Neji swallowed, the hard pit in his throat, making it''s way deep into his core. Could they do any less for what he had confessed to? He took a harrowing breathe and accepted his punishment in stoic silence.

Ino watched as his eyes changed from their bright intensity, to a dull purple, like someone had pulled the covers over them. Like the light within him burned, withered and died. Ashes and smoke were all that was left in that sinking look. Her heart clenched. Why was he doing this? It was clear it was killing him. And as sadistic as Ino was and could be, she found it surprising that she did not enjoy watching him suffer. Ino felt her frustration mount. Though she was angry as hell at him for the words he had said, and the way he had treated her, she still hated to see him in pain. And if she said anything now it could overturn the sentence of her teammate. She didn't understand this.

"The council hearing is concluded. Dismissed." Tsunade's voice rang out above the murmurs. Neji nodded and stiffly made for the door. Ino wanted to go after him. But she stood frozen.

Ino bit her lip, hands clenched across her arms as his form disappeared from her sight. She let him go. Ino felt her ribs, painful even after her healing sessions.

Shikamaru sighed. Stubborn as her namesake. There was no pushing Ino when it came to these sort of things. She might realize her mistake too late to change things. So troublesome...

…...

_She floated by, a vision in a white summer dress that fell to her knees. Long golden hair was up in it's typical ponytail her bangs against the side of her face with her barrettes. She passed him with no look, or recognition periwinkle eyes clam and serene. She didn't even acknowledge him. It bothered him. At her scent of flowers; gardenia, Neji turned, just a fraction, to watch her go by the words stuck as she vanished before he could tell her to wait. The sky grew dark. The smell of smoke and ash. Iwagakure ninja descended and suddenly she was bleeding out in his hands._

Neji awoke, eyes wide, pupils contracting in the light of the sun. He had fallen asleep during meditation. He would add it to his list of shames.

Neji rose from his meditation, rubbing his eyes as he opened the scroll, containing his mission objectives. He read through them one last time to be clear. Clenching the scroll he put the seal back on and tucked it into his pack. He pulled his pack on, strapping the remaining weaponry on his person. An embarrassing week of failure, inflicted by Hyuuga and leaf nin alike left him with nothing but a bad taste in his mouth. He had heard nothing from Ino, but given her silence there was nothing else to assume. He could not tolerate being in Konoha any longer. It was fortunate that the Hokage had readily agreed with his decision.

_"You will be sent to Sand. Gaara will see to it that you are put to good use on their borders, and give you more ample opportunity to redeem yourself. Hiashi will come around. You'll see." Tsunade had clasped his shoulder and Neji had nodded. _

It was time to let go. Of everything. Neji released it.

The universe took it all.

And Neji took a deep cleansing breathe. Rising to his feet, he summoned his chakra, flash stepping out of the Hyuuga compound. Sweet freedom. It tasted good. Trees blurred in his vision, the light wind felt good at his back. Neji moving and weaving between the trees mechanically. He was close to the gate, when he decided to pause, taken by the beauty around him. There was a lake along the way to the gate. The water.

It dawned on him that this was it. This would be his last opportunity to enjoy the lake and the trees before he would be surrounded by rock and sand. He was early, and had enough time for such an indulgence, since it was his last. Would he pass by this opportunity to enjoy what he had known of his home here in Konoha? No.

He had nothing left to keep him here, but he loved the fire country, the lush forests and cool waters that surrounded his home. Pearlescent eyes closed as he took in the sounds of wildlife and the water. Bird chirped, and squirrels chattered above him. It was the sound of wings fluttering, and the wind through the trees that he would miss the most. This did not make him open his eyes. It was that telltale twitch that he felt, that presence. Her presence. Pearlescent eyes opened.

"Hyuuga Neji." That voice. Her voice. It was amazing the nuances that he could tell from her tone. Suspicion and surprise were foremost. She wore her typical purple outfit, midrift tantalizing as he tried not to stare. His eyes returned to her face after his inspection. He had released this. Why did it hurt so much then?

"Yamanaka san." Neji kept his tone nuetral as she passed him on the path her eyes staring at the water.

Neji walked by her. Though she did not wear a white dress, it was the same as his vision. And his stomach clenched. No. He did not want it to end this way. He did not want her to leave without her acknowledging him. He was no coward to run away from her. He would prove it here and now.

"So is this how we leave it?" Neji tossed over his shoulder.

Ino stiffened, stopped and turned. "Leave what, Neji? What did we _have_, that I'm leaving?" Her tone was nuetral, but the words hurt all the same. Neji nodded. He would give her what she needed to hear, to clear his slate.

"You were right" Neji told her. "Just so you know."

"_What?!_" Ino exclaimed.

Clearly these were not the words she was expecting from the look on her face. The lines of distrust that had formed from her eyes, and brow disappeared, replaced by iris blue eyes that sparkled even in their confusion. He wanted to remember her like this. "About what?" She demanded.

"I am leaving for sand. I just wanted you to hear it from me before I go." Neji told her.

"Sand? Why?" Ino asked, taking a pace towards him. Genuine shock and curiosity met his eyes, and so he decided to tell her as he summoned his courage.

"Because I can't pretend that I'm alright watching you love him." Neji told her. "He's your teammate. It was only natural the bonds you formed. I want to honor your wishes. You give everything for the ones you love and I truly respect that. Please know that I only ever wanted your happiness. I had just hoped it would be me." Neji confessed.

The relief of speaking those words washed over him as if he had dove into the lake. Head high, he resumed his course of action.

Ino choked as he walked away from her. "S-stop" as her legs took off after him.

"What is this about Neji? I don't understand." Ino exclaimed.

Neji stopped, startled. "I just told you."

"Bullshit!You go out of your way, throwing yourself into a mission that wasn't even assigned. You put yourself at risk, traveled miles across the border to save _my_ life. I barely even know you. How you managed it I have no idea, but you found me and what's more got me back across the border. You waited days in the hospital until I'm better, unless forehead lied about that... then you say horrible, terrible things to me. And just when I've written you off, thinking you are exactly like every other clan prodigy I've ever known, you go and take back everything you said, and throw yourself under the bus to save Shikamaru."

Pearlescent eyes widened at the words she spoke to him.

"and you want to know the best part?" Ino declared, as her lip trembled only slightly. "then after it all. These great acts of courage and kindness, and compassion. Then nothing. I don't hear from you. Not a damn word. And now, now that you're leaving, you choose to tell me this?! So you'll have to excuse me, if I'm a little confused about your angle. I'm not the girl to be strung along!" She exclaimed.

Neji's eyes widened. It was rare that his Byakugan did not see what was clearly in front of him.

"Strung along? Is that what you think I did? How did you not know? How could you possibly not know how I felt about you? After everything that I did. I made it clear, in every action, every word to you. Forgive me, except for the words in the garden. I should not have said those things to you when you came to visit me, and I apologize for that, but you did not make it easy on me. I-I thought you were mocking me."

"Was I supposed to mock you? What was I supposed to do, Neji? You had put me against my teammate. Had it been Lee or TenTen you would have fought tooth and nail, just the same to clear their name. And then you went and got yourself demoted after saying such awful things to me. I didn't-" Ino paused to catch her breathe. "I didn't know what to do. To say."

"Well I know why you did it." Neji replied. "You love him."

"Ugh, would you stop putting words in my mouth?! Of course I love Shikamaru"

Neji swallowed those painful words, but Ino continued "Neji! He's my best friend and my teammate, same as Chouji. But I don't want to _be_ with Shikamaru, or Chouji, though they are both loveable idiots and my brothers, all the same." Ino replied.

"But then why did you do it? Decide to give up your life for him?" Neji exclaimed. This was too much to take in all at once.

"For him? It had nothing to do with Shikamaru, though he and Chouji are my teammates. It had everything to do with those children. I did not want a single one to have to live the kind of life that clan prodigies live. They had experienced enough tragedy in their lives. They deserved their freedom, even if it cost me my own." Ino replied. "I wanted a better life for them."

Neji was shocked. This was what Naruto had told him to do. To ask her why she had done what she had done. And the answer surprised him, though it shouldn't have. Ino had always held such a depth for those she cared for. Her selflessness was not paraded about like other women he knew. She did not make a martyr of herself. She hid her soft sides thinking them weaknesses and her good deeds, she kept close so as not to brag about them or get credit for them. In truth, it was her strength of character, of conviction, that made her so beautiful to him. She was a blossom, unfolding before his eyes.

"Of course. The connection with Sasuke. You saw the product of clan prodigies and did not wish that for anyone else." Neji replied. He was surprised he had not seen the connection before now.

Ino's eyes flared in anger. Angry blonde eyebrows furrowed in intent fury. She stalked right up to him and grabbed the flowy Hyuuga by his Hakama, pulling him harshly to her face.

"News flash, Neji. I didn't do it for Sasuke. He's a traitor. I gave that up long ago. I learned that loving a traitor was nothing but toxic for me. I did it because I knew that many of my friends had been abused by the system, Naruto and the other rookie nine. But most of all, _you _had been abused by the system. And it made me angry. It's always made me angry the way you were treated." Ino's periwinkle eyes softened. Neji was rendered speechless.

She coughed, composing herself. "I didn't want those children to have to experience that." Ino confessed. "For someone who's so damn intuitive, Byakugan and all, you can't even see what's in front of you"

Neji's breathe caught as she pulled him harshly to her. She kissed him senseless before he even knew what was happening. The feel of those soft lips against his, woke up every tingling sense he had and threw it into over drive. Byakugan veins flared to life as he memorized the contours of her coral lips, the taste and feel of her lipgloss embedded with glitter. He didn't even care that it was probably on him as her tongue prodded the seam of his lips. Upon entrance she took charge and found purchase against his, massaging sensually. She certainly knew what she was doing.

He breathed in her floral scent, her taste as he brought up his hand to cradle her cheek and pull her closer to him. Lips drank in her beauty. Writhing, she pressed against him, and his other hand snaked around her waist to pull her even closer to him. She burned, blazing into life before him as he kissed her back with fervor. Every thing ached, the drive, the hunger, the need to have her as close to him as physically possible and the buzzing sensation as she kissed him making him, the master of self discipline and control, giddy. He trembled and felt her own shiver of desire. She broke off the kiss, cheeks flushed, blonde eyebrows still held a touch of their fury as she stared up at him in contempt.

Neji chuckled, tucking a strand of spun gold behind her ears. "You are adorable when you are mad,Yamanaka."

"Almighty Byakugan. Chee." She said, snuggling closer to him. Such a lovely contradiction.

His lips kissed her forehead, just basking in the feel of her close to him. His hand touched her wrist, her pulse beating rapidly, bringing a smile to his face. She quirked an eyebrow at him and he shook his head, lips kissing her brow.

Ino's eyebrow arched. "Well that was melodramatic. Now what?"

Neji felt the wind leave him, as if he had been punched. Lost in the moment he realized he had to go.

"There you two are. I was wondering if you were going to work things out on your own. It makes my news that much better." Shikamaru's voice came out of the brush.

Neji's grip on Ino tightened as he pulled her to him. Realizing it was Shikamaru made his grip relaxed, but he still held the blonde closely. Ino would have laughed if not for the shadow users words.

Instead, she stiffened. "Maru" she growled, not leaving Neji's arms, poking her head from out behind him. She was clearly unhappy with the pinneapple haired genius intrusion. "How long have you been snooping, you nosy creeper!" She snarled, waving a fist.

Shikamaru grinned.

"Long enough to make sure this news wouldn't be unwelcome. Team Ten has been assigned to the borders of Sand on anbu patrol along with one Hyuuga Neji." He replied.

"W-What?" Ino exclaimed.

"It is our duty to monitor and report on the progress of one Hyuuga Neji to determine if and when he will be fit for retaking the captain exams. We are to return at that time for the tests to be re-administered." Shikamaru read from the scroll.

Neji's eyes widened.

"I don't get it. Why would the old hag let _us_ be the ones to decide that?" Ino asked.

"It's a political move. Since he formed the claim against us, it's only right, that the clan afflicted would be a part of removing the sentence." Shikamaru's black eyes gleamed as he lit up a cigarette and took a drag.

"You smug bastard." Ino grinned. "Was this all your doing?"

"I was merely a shougi piece in the game. You can thank Shikaku, the Akimichi clan and your father. They were a part of the delegation tasked by the Hokage. I merely represented the wishes of the other Nara clan members with my father. I will be present on this mission, representing the delegation for the Nara clan as we have other business to attend to. There are ….alliances to make with that of Sand."

Ino grinned. "And one sexy sand shinobi to woo." She quipped.

Shikamaru turned red. "She's too troublesome."

"Exactly. She's just your type" Ino grinned. She turned to Neji, radiant smile gleaming from ear to ear. "Heard that? Guess it means you're stuck with me." She flirted, taking his hand and threading it through her own.

Neji felt his own smile crack, growing wider as he pulled her closer.

"That is my preference." He replied, kissing her for good measure.

"Enough of that. She's late as it is, and has to pack her gear." Shikamaru snickered.

Obscenities spilling in the air, Ino's hand threaded through Neji's tugged him, and dragged him along with her to her house to pack for sand.

…...


End file.
